Welcome to Daniel Lee’s Burberry
For AW23, his first collection at the helm of Burberry, the Bradford-born designer goes back to his roots.
IT’S NO secret that Burberry’s autumn/winter 2023 show had high stakes. The show marked the debut of Daniel Lee’s first collection since taking the helm of the heritage House — one which has survived (but perhaps, not flourished) under the eye of Italian Riccardo Tisci since 2018. With the British house back in the hands of a Brit — especially one who has developed a reputation for being something of a re-inventor following his time at Bottega Veneta — all eyes were on London’s Kensington Park as the Bradford-born designer unveiled his first collection.
The show space, inspired by 19th-century Burberry tents, fell silent as the first model took to the sparse, dark, and surprisingly cozy runway. Swathed in a grey-green trench — its key detail not the famous brown trench, but rather an emerald faux-fur collar — carrying a cobalt and green hot water bottle, and wearing buckled riding boots. She was not the Burberry girl we had come to know over the past few years. Instead, think of Lee’s Burberry as her cooler younger sibling.
As was nodded to in Lee’s first campaign for the brand, unveiled two weeks prior to the show, this new era of the House is one infused with a youthful British cheek; an ode to what it means to be young in Britain today, while maintaining the codes that form the cornerstones of the brand’s identity. The traditional check is now presented in bold purple, cobalt, emerald, mustard and scarlet across tailoring, blanket coats and knits; the formerly stark trench coat is made soft with oversized proportions and faux fur-trimmed lapels; the car coat is deconstructed and the aviator exaggerated.
The thread of Britannia is reinforced through the kilts — pleated and worn over baggy trousers and plaid tights — as well as chunky Aran and argyle knits. Motifs of tartan and the English rose further to remind us that, while it may be injected with a new wash of colour, this is still Burberry — the icon of British fashion.
In the realm of accessories, the traditional riding boots and rubber rain boots retain their elegance, walking alongside signature square sandals, mules and pumps decorated with faux fur and shearling, and refreshingly audacious sneakers. The famed saddle bags and satchels present in sturdy colours, carrying the iconic ‘B’ on their fastenings.
This presents as a show that feels deviant from the Burberry we have come to know in recent years. In fact, it’s more Burberry than ever, paying tribute to modern Britain, while retaining the hallmarks of the nation’s heritage.
Watch the full Burberry AW23 show below.
Written by Ella Sangster for Harper’s Bazaar Australia
Lead Image Supplied