Burberry Prorsum presented a stunning collection for Spring/Summer 2012 in Kensington Gardens this Monday. One of the most enjoyable things, in my view, each season, is how Christopher Bailey managed to keep a balance between respecting the label’s over 150 years heritage – and satisfying the brand’s most conservative customers – and exploring new sources of inspiration, constantly renewing Burberry’s signature silhouette – and wowing the creme de la creme of the fashion world, as well as the fussiest fashionistas.
Building on ethnic prints and accessories from the Resort collection, Christopher Bailey goes even further, with Eastern-inspired geometric wooden beads, handcrafted beaded crochet collars combining anise, beetroot and sapphire blue colours, or raffia details.
The African prints on pleated dresses and cotton wrapped-around skirts add a bright, summery touch to an otherwise quite autumnal collection, with a lot of knitwear and cold – yet absolutely gorgeous – colours ranging from purple and indigo to sapphire blue, dark fern or hawthorn red, spiced up by ochre and turmeric hues.
One of the key elements of the Spring/Summer 2012 silhouette, beside the fabulous textured trench coats and the nappa leather sleeves parka, is the mid-length linen skirt with a high waist enhanced by two tabs, declined in khaki, purple, grey and ochre. Another highlight was an incredible turquoise blue leather trench coat teamed with a rafia and leather belt and matching clutch.
I literally fell in love with the accessories, more specifically the wedges with multi-coloured beads ankle bracelets and the jaw-dropping (yes, not less) Whipstitch bag, declined in the key colours of the season. A star is born!
Speaking of which, more than 1,500 guests attended the show, including Sienna Miller, Anna Wintour, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Sir Ben Kingsley, Kanye West, Muse, Samantha Cameron, Mario Testino and many other Burberry lovers, celebs or not.
As always, the soundtrack was fabulous, from I Put A Spell On You by Jeff Beck featuring Joss Stone, to Everlasting Love by U2, to My Sweet Lord by George Harrison, and got everyone to tap their feet to the music.
Burberry collaborated with Twitter to create the first ever ‘Tweetwalk’ with exclusive images of the collection sent from backstage then from the catwalk. The show was also streamed live on Facebook with a link for all Burberry fans to broadcast the show from their own page. As every season, Burberry made the show!
Laurie Guillem