Thirty-eight years after his film career began with With Nile and my amazingly tattered coat, Richard E. Grant gave us another pop culture moment on his final show at London Fashion Week.
The starry sky lineup at Tate Britain on Monday also included White Lotus' Jason Isaacs and Leslie Manville (Naomi Campbell was relegated to the supportive cast).
Saltburn, the overjoyed 2023 film Grant was introducing, “what really stumbled me this season,” Burberry designer Daniel Lee said after the show. “The bohemian people who dressed in this really quirky way for dinner and had crazy parties, the way the whole thing was very twisted.”
The museum's arched gallery was dressed at night as a magnificent country home. Actor Nicholas Holt sat next to the Knight of Full Armor. The real, lumpy sofa set the front row of Skepta, Ian Wright and Damien Lewis.
The dressing gown coat and velvet smoking jacket from the collection tilted the hat to Grant's Saltburn character. (Jodhpurs was a nod to other hits from rivals, perhaps a British class comedy.)
Burberry fell from the FTSE 100 last September. This is the loss of faces in an industry where image is everything. The turnaround plan, implemented by CEO Joshua Schulman, will keep Burberry away from trends, establish itself as a global luxury outerwear brand, double trench coats, check out scarves and umbrellas. It's there.
A new positioning – think of the North Face, but for the rich – is doing well with analysts. However, “Back to Basics” is a phrase that appeals to shareholders, but it's not moving at Fashion Week. And to command a high price, Burberry needs status. That means the flashy catwalk shows.
Grant recently appeared in one of his Valentine's Day-themed Burberry Short Film series. These mini-rom.coms placed the brand in a Richard Curtis-esque version of Britishness. Think of photogenic pastel colored London Terrace, Kate Winslet, Park Picnic, Sloppy Dog, Shakespeare quotes. If the tone of these films misses the warmth, this show is a cut from Lee's director, and Burberry's vision is a darker romance than romcom.
Lee also spoke behind the scenes about how a rainy Yorkshire walk last fall affected a moody, saturated colour palette.
Burberry loves to talk about the weather for two reasons. First of all, Burberry sells coats. Secondly, talking about the weather is part of being British, and Burberry also sells British. The outerwear has been strongly characterized by the catwalk.
A variety of styles spoke to the drive, including quilted jackets, hoodies, pea coats, and trenches, reaching a wider customer base. A distinctive check on the extra-large scarf and leather gloves. Both Grant and Isaac were given an umbrella to embrace, ensuring the greatest promotion of this accessory.
The luxury industry is unstable in the face of slower spending and a new world order of tariffs, and the pace of designer turnover is picked up as a panicked boss, panicked and creative to see the outcome I will burn out plans.
There are perpetual rumors that Lee, who joined Burberry in 2022, could be replaced this year. When asked about his future, he said he loves his job. “That's an honor,” he said. “Things are definitely improving. I think we're in a really positive place. There's a stronger sense of unity with the team right now.”
There are early signs that the worst signs of Burberry's anguish could end. Stocks have doubled since September, sales in the key period before Christ are better than expected, and in current position Burberry will secure re-entry to FTSE 100 during the next re-shuffle in March I will.
