Burberry Set for 'Britishness' Refocus at London Fashion Week

Burberry Set for 'Britishness' Refocus at London Fashion Week
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Burberry Set for 'Britishness' Refocus at London Fashion Week

Burberry Set for 'Britishness' Refocus at London Fashion Week

London fashion week kicks off Friday with Daniel Lee's debut as Burberry creative director among the highlights, as the brand looks set to return to its British roots.

The five-day event is dedicated to Vivienne Westwood, the doyenne of British design, who died in December aged 81, AFP said.

"Her work not only changed the fashion industry, giving birth to and defining punk, but it also drove positive change globally," the British Fashion Council said in a statement.

London fashion week will feature 47 catwalk shows and a host of other events as well as playing host to Ukrainian fashion week, displaced by the ongoing conflict.

Three Ukrainian designers -- Frolov, Ksenia Schnaider and Paskal -- will show their works as part of the Support Ukrainian Fashion initiative.

New names on the schedule for the digital/physical hybrid event include Noon By Noor, Perte D'Ego, Sinead Gorey, Talia Byre and Tove.

Ahead of Lee's Burberry debut on Monday, fashion watchers have already picked up strong hints about where he intends to take the brand.

Lee, the former creative director of Bottega Veneta, took over from Italian designer Riccardo Tisci in October 2022.

- Iconic logo returns -
In a teaser released earlier this month, his first creative campaign features a cast of British talent including Lennon Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Liberty Ross, rapper Shygirl and Vanessa Redgrave -- along with South Korean actress Jun Ji-hyun -- shot in Trafalgar Square and on Albert Bridge.

Although the advertisements featured existing products not designed by Lee, they appear to give a clear indication of his intention to put the emphasis firmly back on the brand's British heritage.

Burberry's iconic equestrian knight logo has also made a comeback, having been ditched by Tisci in 2018.

Another highlight of the autumn/winter 2023 collections will be Moncler Genius's debut, which will go up against Burberry on Monday.

The Art of Genius 2023 will be a "live show on a grand scale", aiming to go "beyond fashion" through an exploration of the power of collaboration across the creative industries, according to the brand.

The line-up will include previous friends and collaborators such as Alicia Keys, Rick Owens and Pharrell Williams.

"It feels like a huge relief to be able to hold London fashion week again," British Fashion Council head Caroline Rush told AFP.

September's event had to be largely scaled back due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, just as the fashion world was getting back on its feet after the pandemic.

Paying tribute to Westwood, Rush said she "in many ways encapsulated what people think of when they think of British fashion -- that creative freedom, the ability to really challenge societal norms".

- 'Enormous legacy' -
Rush said a memorial service for Westwood on Thursday -- attended by a host of famous faces from Kate Moss to Victoria Beckham -- had been a chance to remember her not just for her "brilliant designs" but also for her activism.

"She has an enormous legacy... It's hard to believe that she is no longer with us," she said.

"But I think there is a sense that her spirit lives on through the creativity of the many young designers who were inspired by her."



It’s Met Gala Time! Get Yourself Suitable with This Guide on What to Expect

Met Gala celebrity chair Lewis Hamilton speaks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute during a press conference October 9, 2024. (AFP)
Met Gala celebrity chair Lewis Hamilton speaks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute during a press conference October 9, 2024. (AFP)
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It’s Met Gala Time! Get Yourself Suitable with This Guide on What to Expect

Met Gala celebrity chair Lewis Hamilton speaks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute during a press conference October 9, 2024. (AFP)
Met Gala celebrity chair Lewis Hamilton speaks at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute during a press conference October 9, 2024. (AFP)

As springtime sunshine finally hits New York City, the Met Gala beckons — one of the most anticipated and visible parties in the world.

This year, the theme — “Tailored For You" — is focused on classic tailoring. As always, the dress code is inspired by the spring exhibit at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” is the first Met show to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years to have a menswear theme. The show looks at the evolution of Black style over the centuries through the lens of dandyism.

Here are some key things to know as fashion's biggest night approaches:

When is the Met Gala? The gala happens the first Monday in May — this year, May 5.

What exactly is the Met Gala? Not everyone knows that the gala is actually a fundraiser for the Costume Institute, the only self-funding department at the Met. Last year the evening brought in a whopping sum of more than $26 million to the museum's coffers.

Was it always this big? Definitely not. It started in 1948 as a Manhattan society midnight supper – held at various places like the Waldorf Astoria and the Rainbow Room. It took many years before it turned into a global event and one of the starriest nights of the year.

Who's hosting the 2025 Met Gala? Each year brings a new group of celebrity co-chairs. This year they are Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo, and A$AP Rocky — along with Anna Wintour, the influential Vogue editor who always oversees the proceedings. NBA superstar LeBron James is honorary chair.

Who else is attending the Met Gala so far? Word on attendees trickles out slowly in the weeks leading up to the event. But this year there’s also a huge additional host committee with stars from various fields. (They don’t have specific host duties, other than showing up and, it goes without saying, looking fabulous.)

It includes athletes Simone Biles and husband Jonathan Owens, Angel Reese and Sha’Carri Richardson; filmmakers Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee and Regina King; and actors Ayo Edebiri, Audra McDonald and Jeremy Pope, and musicians Doechii, Usher, Tyla, Janelle Monáe and André 3000.

Also in the group are author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; artists Jordan Casteel, Rashid Johnson and Kara Walker; playwrights Jeremy O. Harris and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins; and fashion figures Grace Wales Bonner, Edward Enninful, Dapper Dan and Olivier Rousteing.

Can anyone buy a ticket to the Met Gala? In a word: No. You cannot just buy a ticket. The right question is: If I were famous or powerful and got invited, how much would it cost?

If I were famous or powerful and got invited, how much would it cost? Individual tickets start at $75,000. Generally, though, companies buy tables. A fashion label, for example, would then host its desired celebrities. A table of 10 starts at $350,000 this year, as it did last year. There will be approximately 400 guests.

How strict is the dress code? The code is meant to be a guide, not a hard rule, and loose interpretation is encouraged.

How do guests spend the evening? Guests enter the museum and walk past an enormous flower arrangement in the museum’s grand lobby – always a talking point. Often there is an orchestra playing nearby. At the top of the grand staircase, Wintour and her co-hosts form a receiving line. Guests then head to view the exhibit, which is followed by dinner. The most hotly anticipated guests sometimes arrive around dessert time for maximum impact (we're looking at you, Rihanna).