Burberry Prorsum summoned a biker spirit as it presented the Spring/Summer 2016 collection at London Fashion Week.
Models wearing leather jackets over fine lace dresses paraded in front of a star-studded audience, in a marriage of the delicate and the powerful.
Burberry’s chief creative officer Christopher Bailey had treated fans to a sneak preview of the collection on “Snapchat” on Sunday, ahead of the show at Kensington Gardens, close to the iconic Royal Albert Hall.
Among the hundreds of guests in the church-like glass venue were actress Sienna Miller, supermodels Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne and Vogue chief Anna Wintour.
Soul singer Alison Moyet — accompanied by a symphony orchestra — kicked off the ambitious and eclectic show with four songs live from the catwalk.
The lambskin biker jackets — made at a British factory famed for creating army uniforms since the 18th century — featured ornate goldwork cording and metal detailing and were “influenced by twentieth century motoring styles”, according to the company.
They covered dresses made of lace, one of Bailey’s favoured fabrics that he used extensively during the most recent men’s collection in June.
The designer returned to another classic with a slim fit adaptation of the Burberry trench coat, whose combination mesh and macrame lace hinted at Bailey’s penchant for juggling fabrics.
“It’s not so much about the trend, it’s more about an emotion and an attitude,” he explained to the press.
– A ticket for the ballet –
Nautical influences were explored through double-faced cashmere pea coats with crested buttons and rounded shoulders and the Royal Navy-inspired wooden toggles on the collection’s silk satin duffel coats.
Moving to the accessories, the design house presented flexible nylon backpacks with leather fastenings carried by models wearing semi-transparent lace dresses and light coats.
Earlier in the day, Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic helped transform Marylebone’s Seymour Leisure Centre into a dream world of geometric shapes.
Her show was marked by long, fluid dresses that glided down to the ankles in soft, almost pastel tones of blue, white and purple.
The soft-cut designs, which included jumpsuits and a transparent coat with black bands, were conceived with comfort in mind, giving both freedom of movement and of expression.
“I started with references from the modern ballet, from contemporary ballet, but also ballets from 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s… all the way through to our time,” the designer told AFP.
“I was particularly influenced by female dancers and artists who had such beautiful strong bodies, who moved in a very liquid way,” she added.
Her show also attracted the rich and famous, with Samantha Cameron, wife of Prime Minister David Cameron and a fashion-week regular, securing a front-row seat.
– Autumnal drama –
There were surprises in store on Monday evening in an arresting show by British designer Giles, held in a sumptuous reception in the Banqueting House, part of the Palace of Whitehall with ceilings painted by Peter Paul Rubens.
A star-studded cast included Eva Herzigova, Poppy Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, who accompanied the model backstage at the show.
The designer invited guests to discover a world of magic in his show, which featured dramatic dark evening gowns and rich patterns of plant and animal motifs.
The show was based on an autumnal palette of silver, grey and earthy colours, with occasional details in teal and red.
In contrast, the collection unveiled by brand Joseph was minimalist and uncluttered, with long and flowing dresses in white, yellow and black that wrapped around the body.
Based this year in the edgy central London neighbourhood of Soho, London Fashion Week will showcase the work of more than 150 designers and host dozens of fashion shows and presentations throughout the city before it ends on Tuesday.
Christopher Bailey is Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer for global British luxury brand Burberry.
Christopher joined Burberry as Design Director in May 2001 and from the outset his creative vision was applied to all aspects of the brand. He was responsible for all collections, brand imagery, consumer-facing activities incorporating product design and development, creative marketing, architecture, consumer technology and digital innovation.
In partnership with former Chief Executive Officers Rose Marie Bravo and then Angela Ahrendts, Christopher developed Burberry’s creative and strategic direction over a 13 year period. In that time, working with the senior leadership team, they created the leading global, British luxury brand.
In 2008 together with former Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, Christopher established the Burberry Foundation to help young people realise their potential through the power of their creativity. The Foundation leverages Burberry’s unique creative culture and its 11,000 associates worldwide to help give young people the confidence to achieve their dreams. The Burberry Foundation also forms an important part of the company’s commitment to contribute to the communities where it operates.
In November 2009, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the company’s success, Christopher was appointed to the newly created position of Chief Creative Officer.
On 1st May 2014 Christopher was appointed Chief Creative Officer and Chief Executive Officer. This new role combines his existing position with overall responsibility for creating and delivering the next chapter in Burberry’s global vision and business strategy.
Christopher is a long-standing supporter and mentor of emerging British creative talent from institutions around the UK including the Royal College of Art, the Chelsea College of Art, the University of Huddersfield, Sheffield Hallam University, the Batley School of Art and the University of Westminster. In 2012, Christopher Bailey was named Chair of Fashion Fringe, one of the leading platforms supporting emerging fashion talent in the UK.
Prior to his appointment at Burberry, Christopher was the Senior Designer of Womenswear at Gucci in Milan from 1996 to 2001. From 1994 to 1996 he was the Womenswear Designer at Donna Karan.
Christopher Bailey, 44, is British and was born in Yorkshire.
Awards
2015
• Editor’s Choice Award at the ELLE Style Awards 2015
2014
• Designer of the Year, GQ Men of the Year Awards
• Association of Colleges Gold Award for Further Education Alumni
2013
• Menswear Designer of the Year 2013, British Fashion Awards
• Honorary Doctorate from the Royal College of Art, London
2011
• Honorary Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University, Yorkshire
2010
• International Award, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
2009
• Honoured with an MBE in the Birthday 2009 Honours List for his services to the Fashion Industry
• Honorary Patronage from Dublin Trinity College Philosophical Society
• Designer of the Year 2009, British Fashion Awards
2008
• Menswear Designer of the Year 2008, British Fashion Awards
2007
• Menswear Designer of the Year 2007, British Fashion Awards
• Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Huddersfield, Yorkshire
2006
• Honorary Doctorate from the University of Westminster, where Christopher graduated from with a BA in 1990
2005
• Designer of the Year, British Fashion Awards
2003
• Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Art, where Christopher graduated from with an MA in 1994
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