There was a lot riding on Burberry’s autumn/winter 2023 runway show. It was the start of a new era for Burberry after five years under the creative direction of Riccardo Tisci, and also an indicator if the acclaim surrounding newly appointed creative director Daniel Lee is warranted. The latter, after all, helped to transform Bottega Veneta from a sleepy brand to a desirable luxury option.
It seems almost unfair to judge a creative director’s debut show—only because a vision should always been given time to be fully fleshed out. Yet here we are; in some instances, Lee’s debut Burberry collection was a hit, but mostly, expected.
Hear me out. Lee’s work at Bottega Veneta was fresh, given that it was his first opportunity as a creative director. His interpretation of the brand’s signature Intrecciato motif was contemporary: blown up and magnified such that it was deservedly highlighted.
At Burberry’s autumn/winter 2023 runway show, it felt like a repeat of the Bottega Veneta rebrand. The Burberry check was given a heightened presence, this time angled so that the pattern resembles a diamond and then magnified before being rendered in a slew of rich colours. The Equestrian Knight Design—another Burberry icon that was revived—was also featured heavily and (once again) blown up as though the only way to underscore Burberry’s heritage was to have it right smack in everyone’s faces.
If Bottega Veneta’s green was a smart new signature implemented during Lee’s time, Burberry’s perhaps could be a shade of blue that sits somewhere in the purple spectrum. This was given more prominence in the Equestrian Knight Design (looks 28 and 33)—a combination of both could perhaps tease the brand’s new design vocabulary.
The lack of surprise aside, Lee is a master at creating new, desirable products and it’s here that he didn’t disappoint. Right from the beginning of the show, a felt hot water bag seemed to be the accessory du jour—they were also the seating place cards at the show—and was the main highlight of the entire collection. The rest of the bags however (and there seemed to be plenty) felt a bit lost because there were too many different variations.
What was very clear was the non-existence of the Tisci-era TB monogram. In its place was the use of a b-shaped hardware that acted as the fastenings on the new bags. Lee doesn’t seem to be a fan of monograms anyway but he did introduce a pattern consisting of mallards and even fashioned a knit ushunka into the head of one.
It’s honestly too early to determine if this #NewBurberry would do well. But if anything, the Burberry autumn/winter 2023 collection did feel more in tune to the Christopher Bailey-era Burberry that I grew up with—Bailey was also in attendance—and that in itself is already a vast improvement.
View the full Burberry autumn/winter 2023 collection in the gallery below.
