Enlisted Heritage: Burberry Reimagines Time-honored Tradition
Few things are more synonymous with London than its weather. From the tendrils of fog curling across the silvery surface of the Thames to the storms perpetually brewing over its looming buildings, gloomy weather is elemental to the sepia-steeped charm of The Big Smoke. Perhaps more synonymous than the weather is the gear that accompanies it. Even more so when it bears that instantly recognizable beige check lining that claims it as one of Burberry’s: arguably the quintessential go-to fashion label for Londoners the city over. Should you spot it on the backs of the posh Mayfairites striding through social clubs or on those of Camden’s vestiary provocateurs reinvigorating classics with cheeky pairings in the dimly lit corners of pubs, Burberry’s threads have redefined British fashion all the same. So much so has that definition evolved at the storied brand that now we needn’t even look toward the UK—geographically, that is—to channel the swinging steez that gave it its fame. Casting its storm of style across the Atlantic, the British powerhouse takes its latest creative expression to the streets of another fashion capital, those of Gotham.
Where buildings so tall they truly scrape the sky loom over bustling streets whose energy never quite ceases, Burberry’s mode du jour zooms in on oppositional forces: old and new, soft and powerful, masculine and feminine, and the glorious tension lingering in the in-betweens. Photographed against brutalist backgrounds, these delightful polarities render an alluring ambiguity, one whose presence demolishes barriers and constructs new modes of expression among the ruins.
From these ruins, sturdy textiles arise in ever-wide silhouettes, whose volume immediately conjures the force of soldiers marching forth in meticulously formed echelons, as soft knits and balaclavas inflect that force with the warmth of pastoral romance. Ground-grazing kilts permeate through heavy showers of punk-leaning checks. All the while, wind-blown trousers add much flair to the spectacle. But among this season’s drops, most drippy are Burberry’s reimagined classics: the Harrington, trench coat, puffer, parka, aviator, and duffle.
The timeless trench is updated with B-shaped hardware and dramatic gun flaps as the aviator jacket lunges for a new look in luxurious lamb shearling with B-cut zip pulls. Flipping the script on tradition, the Harrington sports its Burberry Check not on its lining as its customs have decreed since the 1920s, but on its exterior. The parka’s mode of modernization takes on a more figurative approach as its hood opts for a peaked silhouette trimmed with plush faux fur. Meanwhile, the puffer and duffel seek reinvention in versatility with a reversible design that goes from solid-hued to Burberry Check and new wooden toggles carved with B shields from the revived Equestrian Knight Design, respectively.
“Burberry is about protection, functionality, and the outdoors. We are always inspired by our archive and the innovation and creativity of the brand. The campaign promotes the house’s silhouettes: protective and enduring,” shares Daniel Lee, Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer, of the new campaign “It’s Always Burberry Weather.” Indeed, the notion of outerwear as armor is a tenet firmly grounded in the house’s foundation, tracing back to its late founder, Thomas Burberry. Perhaps, when in 1901, Burberry crowd-sourced the Equestrian Knight Design from a public competition and dubbed it the brand’s then-new logo, that’s precisely what he had intended to convey. If you take a closer look at its design, above the knight galloping forward on his steed, his wavering banner reads “Prorsum.” Latin for forward, the message still reads loud and clear as Burberry continues to craft the armor we carry on our daily quests.
Whether that armor is geared at combatting weathering from the natural elements or of fearlessly expressing oneself in sheer defiance of convention, it’s not so clear. What you can depend on with crystalline clarity is with Burberry on your back, there’ll be nothing short of clear skies ahead—as far as conquering the season with the coziest of armors goes. Charge forth.
Discover more from Burberry’s F24 collection here!
