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.
Burberry is the final big-named house on the London Fashion Week calendar and it's poised to bring some newness. Unlike previous runway shows by chief creative officer Daniel Lee, the Burberry Summer 2025 runway show will be staged indoors as opposed to the brand erecting a tent. Lee has also enlisted English artist Gary Hume to design the set of the show.
There's been a consistent Britishness about Lee's creative direction at Burberry—rooting designs on the Equestrian Knight Design (EKD) seen above, reimagining Burberry's trench icons, as well as silhouettes that lean on familiar English heritage. It's highly likely that Lee will continue to do so, especially with teasers focusing on "born of function, grounded in heritage". The Burberry check is probably set on making a more prominent design element—but how that will look like remains to be seen.
For confirmation of what the Burberry Summer 2025 collection will look like, stay tuned for the show this Monday live from London Fashion Week.
What: Burberry Summer 2025 runway show
Where: London
When: Monday, 16 September 2024 at 11pm Singapore time
Nostalagia hit the runway at the Burberry Winter 2024 show. Not only was the show's soundtrack a selection of Amy Winehouse's songs—"You Know I'm No Good", "In My Bed", "Half Time", and "Back to Black"—the show was opened by Agnyess Deyn. And if you were in your teens in the 2000s like me, Deyn would be a familiar name and figure—an English model known for her platinum blonde pixie cut and a fashion inspiration for girls and boys of the time.
The fashion served a similar platter of nostalgia. Chief creative officer Daniel Lee refocused his attention towards the military heritage of Burberry for the Winter 2024 collection with a colour palette that captured the earthy tones of the outdoors. Now that the new brand signifiers have been put in place—the Equestrian Knight Design, the Burberry knight blue and key bags emblematic of Lee's creative direction—its the coats that were reworked with a further military slant.
The fit: Trench coats took on new forms both in silhouette as well as the way they were worn. Instead of belting to accentuate the waist, the belt was tied from the back for a more minimal front. The collar was turned up and buttoned up to create a funnel neck (practical for the colder seasons). The trench coats were also dressed with the oversized epaulettes that were first introduced in Lee's debut collection for Burberry, as well as new keyring hardware that zipped up the front of the coat to the storm flap. The latter an example of Lee's penchant for decorative hardware at Burberry.
There was a decidedly oversized silhouette employed throughout the collection, exuding a sense of warmth and protection that Lee intended. But also, an extension of a signature British aesthetic prevalent on the streets.
Duffle coats and field jackets took on more voluminous forms as they were either crafted from fleecy wool or trimmed with a burst of braided fringing. Zippers on these outerwear were extended to trousers too, with each side consisting of three zipper pulls to allow for creative manipulation. They're reminiscent of those trackpants lined with buttons along the sides that were a big part of the noughties, but here, the attention was front and centre.
The details: On the bags front, a variation of the Trench Tote bag seemed to be a key push. Constructed with zippered sides, they were available in a number of materials with the standout being the ones featuring the Burberry check. And if I'm being honest, a more superior version that the original. The Shield bag, on the other hand, received a more functional upgrade with an exterior compartment.
While the knight blue wasn't part of the colour palette, it wasn't completely stripped from the Burberry Winter 2024 collection—its Lee's coloured signifier for the brand, after all. With every step of each model, the colour peeked through from the soles of every footwear. Not that we need to be reminded of how much that colour is now a part of Burberry (there's a whole knight blue takeover of Harrods that's still going on), but perhaps it's one of those subliminal messaging cleverly employed.
Three exceptional looks: Look 7 had the makings of being the next go-to fit for every British renegade youth; the easy and comfort-first look 19 with that plush mustard vest; and look 48's moleskin trench that's cool in every way.
The takeaway: I'm inclined to say that this is the best Lee for Burberry collection yet.
View the full Burberry Winter 2024 collection in the gallery below.
