BEAUTY: Clothing--Burberry

It's been a while since I last posted a full Burberry collection--2014 to be exact, here. But Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey moved on from the house in 2017 and in 2018, Riccardo Tisci (formerly at Givenchy...see past collections here) became CCO of the brand. While I did post a video for his FW '20-'21 collection here, this current Spring Summer '22 collection at Paris Fashion Week feels like his first true collection for Burberry, as himself.

But having said that, it seems like each creative director must pay homage to the classic Burberry trench coat at some point in some form. They must kiss the ring as it were, and for this collection, Tisci opens with a ripped up, deconstructed trench and moves into new-for-Burberry territory from there. We enter a harsh desert world of workwear and protectivewear featuring biomorphic prints and cut-outs. These outfits seem like they are combat-ready. In fact, they have a bit of a Road Warrior feel to them but without the recycled, patchwork punk aesthetic--these minimalistic uniforms are slick, merciless, cold-blooded in their singular purpose. I also flash on another film reference, this one "Dune," whether the Lynch version or the upcoming Villeneuve version...some pieces of this collection seem like they are clothing the Fremen would wear, to protect themselves from the harsh Arakis climate. Taken as a whole, the collection itself feels harsh. And of course I can't help but leave the sci-fi film references behind and think about our reality right now...and how this might be the necessary clothing of the future for a planet swiftly sliding toward environmental catastrophe.

https://www.burberry.com/