The show which ended romantically under a shower of birch leaves, featured a wonderful finale of coats, jackets, belts and even scarves composed of feather painted moody hues – amber, ochre, Clongowes Wood purple, burnt gold and Prussian blue. We know this sounds rather odd, but they looked great.
Like his men’s collection shown last month in the same space, Burberry’s creative director Christopher Bailey was inspired by the rainy day, workers on their way to work, images by North of England painter LS Lowry. But rather than drenched proles, what hit the runway was thoroughly chic dolly birds, to use that old Sixties term, women who looked like their idea of a busy day was commuting between Harrods and Harvey Nichols to work out what to wear later in Boujis nightclub.
Bailey continues to like flared pants, like those that appear in the highly populated ads the UK label has currently in leading fashion mages, and unveiled some sensational new Lowry bags, huge totes with just the right amount of hardwear.
But the heart of this collection the cut and silhouette, as Bailey strutted his stuff with rouched sleeved coats, tiered dresses and tulip skirts. His silhouette was curvy - tweed coats with Raglan sleeves and jacquard, Jane Austen jackets with subtle inserts - but always cool and credible.
Bailey also dreamt up a sensational new collection of jewelry, whose key element were giant multi-piece glass and crystal pendants, that swung around models’ necks and were provocative and ever so hip. These screamed out best sellers.
That said, the sense that Christopher was treading on familiar ground, the sadly pale makeup and the cretinous idea to make every single girl on the catwalk wear a knit cap, meant this was not a stellar Burberry showing. Just a very fine and even inspiring collection. Hate to quibble, but you understand.
photos courtesy of fashion wire daily
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