Since joining Burberry, Daniel Lee has been on a green streak, touring the parks of London, pitching circus-like tents and filling them with chunky blankets, pillows and branded hot water bottles as part of his mission to showcase Burberry’s rugged outerwear cred.
On Monday night he took guests, including Callum Turner, Bright, Olivia Colman and Joanna Lumley, to Victoria Park in East London, and did much the same. This time the floor of his tent was covered in rubbery green shreds meant to resemble mown grass, while guests sunk their bottoms into fat, fuzzy brown cushions.
While the setting may have been similar, this fall collection was a big step up. It was more glamping than camping, with a luxe lineup of heavy-duty classics — trenches, knits and Wellington boots — sturdy and built to outlast the seasons.
If Lee’s past two collections were a hailstorm of ideas, patterns, checks, colors and new bag and shoe shapes, this season was about refinement. It was outerwear-focused and more sophisticated, with no gimmicky duck hats or giant branded belt buckles.
Lee wanted it to be about “craft,” and said the starting point was British and Irish wool, the mills of Lochcarron and Donegal, and Burberry’s heritage dressing military men and explorers in weatherproof clothing.
He wanted these pieces to perform, “to feel durable and functional, and go hand in hand with a trenchcoat,” said Lee. He didn’t want anything too precious, and described the collection as fit “for rolling around outside. They’re clothes you can live in.”
It was a handsome collection and it certainly had heft. Thick tufts of fur sprouted from the cuffs of coats and around the collars of bomber jackets, while feathery tendrils floated from the shoulders of cashmere knits.
Anoraks and other styles came with detachable plaid linings, while trenches had extra tall funnel collars to keep out the wind. Fuzzy chubbies had teddy bear charm, while knee-skimming coats had a military edge. Lee finished off the looks with sturdy Wellington, biker or wedge boots meant for stomping around town and country.
Turtleneck knit dresses came with long, fringed scarves, while skirts and kilts were so long they hit the floor — no tights required. Men’s tailoring was also substantial: Heavy suits were worn with tractor sole boots, while lavish fur collars adorned topcoats.
It wasn’t all function, though. Lee added a refreshing touch of frivolity in the form of shiny gold hardware — zips on a sturdy topcoat, clasps on chubbies, and a jaunty anklet adorning a stretchy leather wedge boot.
Eveningwear had a glam edge, in the form of a draped gold velvet dress, and long sparkly gowns that recalled a sky full of stars.
These were clothes that work hard, and it’s no accident Lee was showing them now at a time when many luxury customers are thinking twice about spending, and hoping to afford Burberry’s new, higher prices.
These clothes will keep them warm, dry and looking fine, no matter where they pitch their tent.
