Since Riccardo Tisci was announced as the new Chief Creative Officer of Burberry, we’ve all been waiting eagerly to see what this very Italian designer would do with this very British brand. Replacing Christopher Bailey after 17 years at the helm would be no easy task either, so completely did he resurrect, reinvent and revitalise the house.
And now we have our first hint of what’s to come. This is the very major news that Burberry will be collaborating with Vivienne Westwood on a collection of re-imagined iconic styles. It promises to be an incredible celebration of British fashion, and the unique style and heritage of our country.
“Vivienne Westwood was one of the first designers who made me dream to become a designer myself,” Riccardo said in a statement. “When I first started at Burberry, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to approach her to do something. She is a rebel, a punk and unrivalled in her unique representation of British style, which has inspired so many of us. I am so incredibly proud of what we will be creating together.”
We are of course living through an era of fashion collaboration mania; with every big house seeking to collaborate with every cool young artist or underground streetwear designer. Burberry, for example, most recently worked with Gosha Rubchinskiy on a series of pieces reworking their check pattern. But this meeting of icons, both very much at the pinnacle of British fashion, represents a real power move.
Riccardo will debut his first collection at London Fashion Week in September, and with the collaboration with Vivienne due to drop in December, maybe we will get a glimpse of the collaboration on the catwalk then?
In a very Vivienne Westwood move, the collection will support coolearth.org, a charity that works with rainforest communities to stop and deforestation and halt climate change.