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Burberry is one of the most well-established & recognised fashion labels in the world.  Formed in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, the company invented gabardine, dressed Roald Amundsen & Ernest Shackleton (the most revered explorers of their time) & designed clothing for officers in the British army.  “Burberry classic check”, also known as “haymarket check” is instantly identifiable from it’s black, tan & red pattern.

Burberry had a public image problem in the 1990s, when it fell victim to the problem all fashion houses dread: counterfeiting on an enormous scale.  As Burberry had become popular with fans of English football, their classic check started to appear on all manner of items, & sold on almost every street corner.  It become the unofficial uniform for less savoury groups like chavs & football hooligans, & severely damaged the public perception of the brand.

When Christopher Bailey joined Burberry as creative director in 2001, the tide began to turn for the British icon.  The house turned out truly fashion-forward looks at the speed of light, garnering a gaggle of young new fans.  They secured the top British talent for its advertising campaigns, including Emma Watson, Agyness Deyn, Lily Donaldson & Kate Moss.  Today, their image is of utmost quality & brave style.

The Burberry Prorsum show in London is the biggest show of London Fashion Week, with a star-studded, glittering front row & lots of hype.  Since the demand for seats obviously outweighs the availability, Burberry used technology to its advantage & hosted VIP 3D screening sessions in New York, Tokyo, Paris, Dubai & Los Angeles.  Attendees were treated to a live stream of the show direct from London, as well as an informative 20 minute pre-show.  Hosted by Greg James, the pre-show included interviews with celebrities such as Mary-Kate Olsen & Kate Hudson, the ever-powerful Anna Wintour & discussions with Christopher Bailey about what he intended to achieve with the show.

Christopher Bailey is a man of vision.  He spoke about creating the atmosphere of a fashion show, & how every small detail mattered — from the attendees to who you were seated next to, & even the lighting & the scent of the room.  He said that he wanted people to walk out of the show with a certain feeling & emotion.  It’s so fantastic to see fashion designers return to theatrical shows, after years of minimalism & simplicity on the runway.  Everyone loves a good performance!

His vision extended to the individual screenings.  The viewing in New York was hosted in Soho at Skylight Studios, & the city’s fashion elite (including the likes of Glenda Bailey [Harper's Bazaar] & Hamish Bowles [Vogue]) braved the torrential, sideways rain to attend.  Outside, male models in Burberry trenchcoats stood holding umbrellas in their iconic haymarket check, & inside we were whisked through to a darkened room.  There was a delicious scent of rose & vanilla, guests were offered champagne or clear cranberry juice, & were seated on large white leather squabs.  We were all given a pair of Burberry 3D glasses to wear, & the show truly came to life.  The models looked like they were walking right into the room.  It was quite fabulous.

The show started with rumblings of thunder & the illusion of raindrops over the audience & runway — & then the music soared & the spectacle began.  The collection was clearly inspired by military looks & aviation chic — very Earhart armageddon.  It revolved mostly around immaculately-tailored coats worn with over-the-knee boots & stockings (no pants!), lots of leather, shearling & khaki green.  The hair was loose & dishevelled, tucked into enormous, oversized collars.  Shearling-lined, high-heel platform booties (which looked admittedly difficult to walk in) were embellished with straps, & an immediate must on any fashionista’s shopping list.

It’s strange, though — I feel like the show lost something in translation when I look through the photos on Style.com.  The movement in the clothing was so incredible & that seems to be missing in the still shots.  The good news is that you can watch the entire show here: http://live.burberry.com/
As if live streaming & exclusive viewings weren’t enough to sate a fashion pack obsessed with being au courant, Burberry Prorsum singled out a few key items & made them immediately available for purchase on Burberry.com.  With the price of my favourite item (the cropped peacoat with oversized collar, pictured) sitting at the $3995 mark, I sadly had to pass on the pre-order… But the show was absolutely a success, at least to this girl.  How do I know?  Because I was so inspired that I came home & started thinking about how I could incorporate what they’d shown into my own wardrobe.  That’s what a show is supposed to do: inspire you to make a change, do something different, take a risk.
Christopher Bailey & Burberry Prorsum, I salute you!  Just you wait ’til you see my new look!

Photos courtesy Gala Darling & style.com

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