London fashion week starts on Friday. One of the big highlights of the season is Daniel Lee’s debut as creative director at Burberry, which is looking to revisit its British roots.
The five-day London Fashion Week is dedicated to Vivienne Westwood, the doyenne of British design, who passed away last December at the age of 81. “Her work has not only transformed the fashion industry by creating and defining punk, but has also created positive change around the world,” the British Fashion Council said in a statement.
London Fashion Week will feature 47 catwalk shows and a number of other events, as well as host Ukraine Fashion Week, which is unable to take place at home due to the ongoing conflict.
Three Ukrainian designers – Frolov, Ksenia Schnaider and Paskal – will show their work as part of the Support Ukrainian Fashion initiative. New names on the schedule for the hybrid digital and physical event include Noon By Noor, Perte D’Ego, Sinead Gorey, Talia Byre and Tove.
Iconic logo returns
Ahead of Lee’s debut at Burberry on Monday, fashion watchers have already received strong clues as to where he wants to take the brand. Lee, formerly creative director of Bottega Veneta, took over from Italian designer Riccardo Tisci in October 2022. In a teaser released earlier this month, his first campaign features a host of British talent including Lennon Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Liberty Ross, rapper Shygirl and Vanessa Redgrave – along with South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun – performing at Trafalgar Square and on the Albert Bridge.
Although the advertising campaigns featured existing products not designed by Lee, they seem to give a clear indication of his intention to re-focus on the brand’s British heritage. Burberry’s iconic knight logo is also making a comeback after being scrapped by Tisci in 2018.
Another highlight of the Fall/Winter 2023 collections will be the debut of Moncler Genius, which takes on Burberry on Monday. Art of Genius 2023 will be a “live show on a grand scale” that the brand says will “go beyond fashion” by exploring the power of collaboration in the creative industries. Artists include, for example, Alicia Keys, Rick Owens and Pharrell Williams.
“It’s a great relief to be able to host London Fashion Week again,” British Fashion Council chief Caroline Rush told AFP. September’s event had to be largely canceled due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, just as the fashion world got back on its feet after the pandemic.
‘Huge Legacy’
Rush paid tribute to Westwood, saying she “in many ways embodied what people think of when they think of British fashion – that creative freedom, that ability to really challenge societal norms.” She also said that a memorial service for Westwood was held on Thursday, attended by many famous people from Kate Moss to Victoria Beckham, would have provided an opportunity to remember her not only for her “brilliant designs” but also for her activism. “She has a tremendous legacy… It’s hard to believe she’s no longer with us,” Rush said.
“But I believe her spirit lives on through the creativity of the many young designers who have been inspired by her.” (AFP)
This translated post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.