By Charlie Whitehand
What a patriotic pairing! Burberry has joined forces with British fashion icon Vivienne Westwood to create a limited edition capsule collection. The collection will launch this December – just in time for Christmas – and will consist of re-imagined British heritage pieces from the Westwood archive. Not forgetting that it will also be supporting the rainforest, through the charity Cool Earth.
Earlier this year, following the departure of Christopher Bailey, Burberry assigned Riccardo Tisci, the former creative director of Givenchy, to their team. This succession was sure to bring fresh ideas and a creative edge to Burberry designs. After all, Tisci has been known to stand out for his controversial and imaginative ideas, connections to various celebs, and large social media following. In fact, he used this to his advantage and announced the news via Instagram. His statement said, “Vivienne was one of the first designers who made me dream to become a designer… I am SO honoured to announce a new Burbs collaboration with the original British PUNK.”
Tisci is yet to produce his debut collection for Burberry, which is set to hit runways in September, during LFW. This announcement is just proof that exciting things are in the pipeline for the brand. Tisci worked wonders for Givenchy, romanticising the goth look and raising casual wear to high fashion status. If his entrance is anything like Alessandro Michele’s for Gucci, then we should consider this a massive positive for Burberry and it may even give the brand a more Haute Couture edge.
There have been no further hints as to what the capsule collection will entail, but with Westwood’s artistic and unrivalled design style we can only expect to be amazed. There is no doubt that these pieces will be one of a kind, rebellious representations of British style. Think paint splattered trench coats, heavily studded leather accessories, elaborate tartan prints and lots of rips and slashes. This pairing is sure to bring a more contemporary edge to a classic brand, increasing its cultural significance and relevance in today’s market.
Watch this space.
