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Much like the rest of the world, the global fashion calendar has also been victim to the pandemic. While many brands have remained tight-lipped about their forthcoming show plans, Burberry has announced it will be going forth with its September show, albeit in a different format.
The British heritage brand has confirmed it will be proceeding with a physical show for its Spring / Summer 2021 collection, but it will be merging this “live physical presentation” with the digital: “open for all to experience digitally.” As Business of Fashion reports, Burberry will present its Spring collection in an unnamed, fresh-air British location on September 17, which is likely to be streamed online for those unable to make the show due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
With the proposed open-air space and distinctly British landscape, the forthcoming collection will no doubt pay homage to Burberry’s bucolic roots. “Now more than ever, we have to reimagine, to change,” the brand began in an official statement. “We’ve always been drawn to nature and today we look to the purity and simplicity of the outdoors – where our founder Thomas Burberry laid our foundations – redefining our fashion landscape through new forms of expression.”
“Set in the British outdoors, the spring/summer 2021 collection will come to life on the 17 September as a live physical presentation that is open for all to experience digitally – opening new spaces to our global community as we reconnect with nature and each other.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by the House’s chief creative officer, Riccardo Tisci: “As humans, we have always had a deep affinity to nature. We have had to respect and rely upon its power for our very existence, whilst marveling and reveling in its extraordinary beauty. Especially recently, we have all yearned to reconnect again and for this show, I wanted to celebrate these feelings by bringing our community together in a creative experience that takes place within the beautiful, natural landscape of Britain.”
While exact details will be revealed September 17, the brand did confirm there will be a catwalk show, which will be certified carbon neutral with emissions offset through Burberry’s Regeneration Fund.
As many designers opt for new digital-only show formats, this idea of a hybridised IRL-digital runway thusly belongs to Burberry (aside from Ermenegildo Zegna’s reported IRL-digital event in Milan on July 17 as part of Men’s Fashion Week). With other major houses like Gucci and Saint Laurent bowing out altogether – and many calling for the end of the fashion calendar’s worn-out seasonality – it will be no doubt be fascinating to see how Burberry’s great outdoors plays out come September.
READ: IS THE FASHION CALENDAR DEAD? ALESSANDRO MICHELE THINKS SO, AS GUCCI GOES SEASONLESS
