We all know the scent of change is in the air in the world of fashion, and no one’s leading the charge quite like Burberry. After announcing back in February that they would be implementing some version of see-buy-wear, the British label has today unveiled the first stage of their new approach to the fashion calendar. In a reversal of the usual order of things – a show, then a campaign, then products arriving in store six months later – Burberry is releasing its campaign images ahead of their show (which will feature both menswear and womenswear) in September at London Fashion Week.
Taking inspiration from Virginia Woolf’s seminal Modernist text Orlando – which follows a beautiful, gender switching aristocratic through 300 years of English history – the campaign sees Mario Testino reprise his role behind the camera for the label, shooting Burberry cast members Jean Campbell, Cavan McCarthy, and Alex Dregulele in a range of historically influenced styles: a taster of the kind of ruffled collars and embellished jackets that are to come in September, no doubt.
As well as the regal images of Burberry’s Bright Young Things shot in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, Testino has also photographed some of the artisans who work behind the scenes to create Burberry’s lovingly produced pieces. Whether English, Scottish or Italian, the men and women photographed all have some part to play in creating Burberry’s high quality designs: the man pictured below, for example, is the pattern cutter behind Burberry’s latest killer bag, The Bridle.
What’s more, Burberry have also teamed up with artisinal organisation The New Craftsmen to celebrate the best of British craft. Launching on the eve of the Burberry show (happening on 19th September at 7:30 PM, in case you were wondering), the project will be held in the brand’s new show space, Makers House, which will be open to visitors who will get a chance to see the work of a range of craftspeople taking their cues from the ideas that inspired the collection itself.
Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer, said of the project: “Just as Virginia Woolf’s Orlando is both a love-letter to the past and a work of profound modernity, this week-long exhibition aims to nod both to the design heritage that is so integral to Burberry’s identity, and to some of Britain’s most exciting creators, and the innovation and inspiration behind their work.” Roll on September!
