Burberry Menswear Comes Home
After a decade of showing in Milan, iconic British label Burberry has announced its menswear showcase will return to London with the next round of London Collections: MEN in June. Following the success of bringing the womenswear show back to the English capital from the Italian focal point of fashion in 2009, the luxury behemoth has decided the time is ripe to follow suit with its menswear line.
“London is the creative heart of Burberry and our global headquarters… The country’s proud menswear heritage and outstanding contemporary talent give it a unique and powerful energy. It is a wonderful time to be bringing our menswear show home.” Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative Officer
Founded in 1856 by the pioneering Thomas Burberry, the brand began life in Basingstoke as an independent retailer specialising in practical outdoor apparel. Introducing his waterproofed gabardine fabric to the design world in 1880, Burberry paved the way for the modern raincoat and changed the way Europeans dressed for their outdoor pursuits. Rapidly becoming a trusted name by the British public, Burberry was chosen as the clothier for the 1914 Antarctic expedition led by the celebrated Ernest Shackleton and again for the 1924 Everest Expedition. Following further growth, the label became a victim of its own success in the 1990s when its signature check pattern was at the centre of a disastrous campaign to make the brand accessible to the masses, with the trademark plaid copied by every knock-off imitator from Brooklyn to Bangkok. Overnight, the label became synonymous with ill taste and the yuppie set. In the early 2000s, the label set about to revive its image as a premier brand of sophisticated luxury, appointing Christopher Bailey as creative director. Bailey immediately set about tapping into the brand’s illustrious British heritage and brought a fresh lease of life to its iconic trench coat. Taking the seasonal shows to Milan in order to exert the brand’s presence on the world fashion stage, the label received serious recognition once again from industry bigwigs and the smart set. Today, the brand enjoys a venerated status in the luxury sphere once again, after an aggressive expansion across global markets, coupled with a decade of intelligent marketing and fashion-forward design. The success of London Collections: MEN has enticed other British design houses to show their creations at the exclusive three day event, with Alexander McQueen, Richard James and Jonathan Saunders amongst the most prestigious home-grown labels to showcase at LC:M this January. As London grows in prominence with a fashion credibility to rival its glittering continental cousins in France and Italy, it would seem the trend for British designers to return to showcase on their home turf is a sign of things to come; lookout Paris and Milan, London is here to stay. The Burberry Menswear show is due to take place at London Collections: MEN on 18th of June 2013.
Available At
Burberry Prorsum AW13 – Milan Fashion Week
