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Beneath a vast tent pitched in east London’s Victoria Park, British model-turned-actress Agyness Deyn stomped across scattered green mulch, her wispy blonde hair tucked into a demure high-neck coat with a side-buttoned front, paired with trousers with cuffs that revealed a blue-and-brown check when rolled up. Then followed models Lily Donaldson, Naomi Campbell, Lily Cole and Edie Campbell. Are we back in the 2000s?
Not quite, but you’d be forgiven for thinking so, given the return of models from that era. The nostalgic references didn’t stop there. For the autumn/winter 2024 season, which marks Daniel Lee’s third runway show as chief creative officer at Burberry, the designer put greater emphasis on the British luxury house’s key emblems, such as outerwear and its signature check.
Lee’s starting point for the collection was “the people who make up Burberry and how they wear it”, he said backstage before the show, which was soundtracked by Amy Winehouse hits such as “Back to Black” and “You Know I’m No Good”. The British archetypes he had in mind ranged from the royal family (referenced through scarves tied around models’ heads) to football fans (Lee’s interpretation included casual looks such as hoodies paired with a short single-breasted jacket or a soft gilet).
Nostalgia — a theme also explored this season at JW Anderson — can be a powerful marketing tool, though overuse for any brand can be a problem. “It’s nice to draw back on memories,” says Lee. “I think it’s something that’s comforting to people in times of change.”
Lee, who enjoyed phenomenal commercial success at Kering-owned Bottega Veneta, is facing pressure to produce knockout designs for Burberry. Last month, the brand slashed its profit guidance to between £410mn and £460mn, in response to a slowdown in demand for luxury goods. Burberry’s downgrade marks a setback for CEO Jonathan Akeroyd, who has outlined his long-term ambitions to build a modern British luxury brand with sales of £5bn.
Analysts see an uphill climb. “They are trying to revamp and reignite the brand at a time when general consumption of luxury goods is slowing down,” says HSBC’s director of equity research for luxury and sporting goods Aurelie Husson-Dumoutier. While the DNA of Burberry is “well represented” by Lee’s products, the timing of the turnaround is “not ideal”, she adds.
Lee also faces the challenge of designing for a wide customer base, which he acknowledges is both “a blessing and a curse”. The collection’s versatility makes it about “personal styling” as much as it is about “functionality”, he explains. “These clothes are not too precious. They’re clothes that you can roll outside in and live in, because for me that’s really the Burberry person. They’re adventurous and free-spirited.”
The stars came out in full force to support Lee’s latest show, despite the clash with various parties linked to the Bafta Film Awards. Among the notable attendees were Saltburn star Barry Keoghan, who was spotted fist-bumping musician Skepta; The Crown actress Olivia Colman; and brand ambassadors such as Erin O’Connor, Liberty Ross and Vachirawit Chivaaree, better known as Bright.
Outerwear, the top performing Burberry category alongside scarves at British department store Harrods, was a highlight. Down the runway came modernised versions of duffel coats, parkas and field jackets, with tactile shearling and faux fur used throughout. Burberry’s familiar check pattern was sprinkled across the collection, from the lining of floor-skimming wrap skirts to the oversized shoulder bags carried under the models’ arms — all in an autumnal palette instead of the electrifying blue that Lee introduced for his debut.
The sturdy leather boots and rubber-soled shoes felt relevant for today’s young consumers, who are driving growth in the technical outdoor-wear category, as did the kilt skirts that are sure to be a hit in China, the brand’s biggest market. Some gimmicky motifs of seasons past were absent, which is perhaps no bad thing.
Less convincing were the trousers with zipper components and some risqué menswear looks, such as a low V-neck sweater styled under a pinstripe suit, reminiscent of the kind of sexiness brought to Gucci under past creative director Tom Ford. The bags could also have done with more zing. But all in all, there was much to appreciate.
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