With two runway outings in the books and his first collection now in store, Burberry creative director Daniel Lee is getting to work every day, designing pre-season collections that won't have one big-bang moment. or a star. first row.
These mid-season collections, the backbone of any luxury clothing business, make up the bulk of seasonal sales. If the shows are the icing, these are the cake, and Lee's offering was rich, substantial and satisfying.
The designer fused country and city aesthetics for a collection that gave a nod to Burberry's history of dressing the military and explorers and creating warm, weather-resistant trench coats for city dwellers braving the rain.
Even the night clothes were comfortable. A long halter-neck dress with thick rosettes at the neck and hip was made of charcoal wool, while a faded camouflage-print dress with a long, speckled scarf-like collar from the '70s came with its own fur coat. sleeveless sheep.
Many of these looks had a British aristocratic feel, made for men and women with one foot in the grouse moor and the other in the streets of Soho (where Burberry has set up a temporary studio while the main one is being refurbished).
The sturdy boots came with buckle details and biker style. Some were lined in sheepskin, while others, taller, leather, were wrinkled and roomy and made for easy movement. The most daring styles included stiletto mules sprouting fur and a new style of loafers with high heels and curved soles.
The clothes were equally robust: Lee's women wore thick ribbed or check-print tights, in what must be a first for Burberry.
She certainly worked those paintings hard, turning them into ankle-skimming trench coats, knife-pleated skirts, long pants paired with chunky buckled boots, bomber jackets, and a comfortable, belted shirtdress.
Outerwear, another Burberry signature, also played a starring role in the form of shearling jackets and leather parkas trimmed with faux fur. There were bags galore, with Lee's latest styles roomy, practical and featuring a discreet B logo that purred, rather than squeaked, luxury, befitting the moment.
