London Fashion Week: Burberry gives the trench coat a streetwear edge

London, Sept 16, 2024 (AFP) - With a Spring/Summer 2025 collection reinventing the iconic trench coat with a streetwear edge, English designer Daniel Lee brought a breath of fresh air on Monday to fashion giant Burberry, hit by financial troubles.

The designer, who has been at the creative helm of Burberry for the past two years, departed from the tradition of setting the London Fashion Week show in a tent pitched in the heart of a park, opting for the concrete of the brutalist National Theatre building instead.

For the venue's scenography, the creative director called on British artist Gary Hume, who redecorated the building's foyer, inspired by one of his installations from the 1990s.

Lilac carpeting and large green sheets pierced with geometric patterns added colour between the grey concrete pillars.

Under the eyes of celebrities — Vogue USA editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, actor Barry Keoghan, Blur singer Damon Albarn, and recent Paris gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson — the models entered from one of the building's massive staircases.

The classics that make up the British brand's DNA were still there: the trench coat with turned-up collar for men, tartan in shades of grey, beige or cream, and carefully structured outlines.

But even "Burberry icons evolve," wrote Daniel Lee in his note of intent, as "trench elements are deconstructed and realised in fabrics that feel light: silk poplin and linen."

For women, the designer remade the trench as a cropped jacket, a halter cape, or a parka with shoulders covered in silk organza faux feather trims, layered over delicate dresses or skirts, blending elegance with a sportier, even military style.

Spring palette

For men, the influence of sportswear fashion is even stronger, with lightweight materials and functional cuts, giving rise to outfits of flowing pants and tartan zip-up jackets, paired with sneakers or loafers.

"There's a tension between looser, fluid fabrics versus leather and pieces inspired by traditional British uniforms," Lee explained.

The collection also gave a nod to the resurgence of Y2K fashion, with low-rise trousers, cargos, and capris that end below the knee.

Before the show, Daniel Lee said he admired artist Gary Hume's "extraordinary use of colour," and his palette of green, lilac, and orange is reflected in the collection, which ends with glamorous gold-sequined dresses.

Since his arrival at Burberry in October 2022, Lee has been on a mission to modernise the cornerstone of British luxury, which is experiencing worsening financial difficulties.

For several months now, the British fashion house has suffered from a lack of global appetite for luxury goods and unfortunate strategic choices.

Next week, Burberry will exit London's FTSE 100 after 15 years at the top-tier index. It has been the FTSE 100's worst-performing company over the past year, its share price tumbling about 70 percent.

Briton Jonathan Akeroyd stepped down as CEO after a series of poor results in July after just over two years at the label and was immediately replaced by American Joshua Schulman, former head of brands Michael Kors and Coach.

On its penultimate day Monday, London Fashion Week also featured catwalks by Labrum London, Irish designer Sinead O'Dwyer and, for the first time, Edeline Lee, a favourite of Victoria Starmer, wife of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was in the front row of the show for the occasion.