Has Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry show at London Fashion Week rejuvenated the 162 year-old house?
Italian creative chief’s collection combines darker, sexier styles with the 162-year old brand’s trademark fine tailoring as it targets younger shoppers
With metallic trimmings and corset-like belts, Burberry’s trademark trench coats took centre stage at the brand’s catwalk relaunch under new creative chief Riccardo Tisci on Monday as it looks to lift sales with a move upmarket.
The former Givenchy star evoked the label’s British heritage, with pussybow blouses and pleated skirts setting the tone for a collection that featured sleek, tailored looks and showcased items such as new handbags – an area that Burberry wants to boost.
Luxury brands are jostling to carve out a following among younger shoppers, who are always on the lookout for eye-catching new designs, at a time when strong demand from Chinese consumers is boosting revenues across the industry.
Faced with more sluggish sales than rivals such as Kering’s Gucci or LVMH’s Louis Vuitton, Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s CEO is repositioning the 162-year old brand firmly in the luxury segment, where profit margins are higher and growth is more consistent.
Tisci, who took over from Burberry’s long-standing designer Christopher Bailey this year, brought some of the darker, sexy styles he is known for to the British brand, with slinky black evening gowns and sharp men’s suits – paraded down the runway in London by models with umbrellas slung over their backs.
