There have been plenty of articles attempting to critically analyse Burberry's current strategy—both creatively as well as from a marketing standpoint. It has become a continuously profound struggle for Burberry, a heritage brand that has been experiencing a sort of fall from financial grace for years now, to find that balance between being fashion-forward and desirable.

The Burberry Summer 2025 runway show proved that chief creative officer Daniel Lee has perhaps found that balance after almost two years of steering the brand back to its British roots. Noticeably, there were a few design elements that Lee initiated in his first few collections that he's now seemed to forgo this time around. The Burberry Check is back in its original rendering after seasons of being skewed at an attempt to modernise the motif, while the revived Equestrian Knight Design (EKD) wasn't as prominent.

Lee likens the collection as a continuation of Winter 2024. "An easy elegance that feels inviting for summer. We want the pieces to feel welcoming, and for the wearers to feel confident," he says. Cue the much softer approach in terms of fabrications, treatments as well as colour palette—as though to say that these pieces are indeed wearable and easy enough buy into.

The fit: A lot of the Burberry Summer 2025 collection's focus is on the military aspects of the brand's heritage. It's evident from the overall swathe of pastel, washed out and weathered colourways that Lee's intention was to highlight Burberry's more utilitarian functionality. The collection's outerwear pieces remained key grounding elements and inherently made the collection Burberry. This time, trench coats were reconstructed into asymmetric jackets, a couple of slightly cropped iterations as well as multi-pocket field jacket versions. They were all season-appropriate—crafted in lightweight silk, linen or bonded wool.

The zipped elements from Winter 2024 made a return on the runway. They were featured on a number of zipped trousers styled open at the knees to further accentuate the roominess of the cut. Where pockets weren't adorned with weatherproof flaps, zipped details reinforced utilitarian elements as well as versatile styling proposals.

Overall, the collection excelled at reimagining Burberry house codes without needing to shout with bold graphics or an overuse of branded signatures and motifs. Silhouettes felt easy to wear with chic simplicity apparent throughout the collection. In some cases, perhaps, they were too simple in execution, especially when broken into individual pieces. Together though, the styling felt the most Burberry that Lee has crafted thus far.

The details: A complete overhaul of the bag offerings seemed to be intentional. The collection saw introductions of completely new styles all designed to be unlined and relaxed. The Country comes as a crossbody, bucket bag and tote in grainy leather with the Burberry Check, while the B Clip—named after its b-shaped front fastening—is a new messenger bag, tote and holdall in tumbled leather and suede with the addition of a rather stunning Burberry Check style in patchwork leather.

Three exceptional looks: The super chic opening look styled almost like a regal, royal officer; look 32's classic Burberry Check rendered in a deep hue for a truly utilitarian ensemble; and the timeless silhouette of look 47.

The takeaway: Lee has found a balance between his own leanings and Burberry's Britishness—how open customers will be to adapting remains the brand's challenge.

View the full Burberry Summer 2025 collection in the gallery below.