By Aaron Kok - published
Let’s start with the one thing that’s on every social media critic’s mind: yes, this is not the Burberry you thought you knew. And here’s a hot take: that’s a great thing.
In many comment sections, the gripes seem to be rooted in a nostalgia for the brand’s earlier days. “I miss Christopher Bailey”, reads one Instagram user, while another chimes in to point out that during Bailey’s days, he too had an equal lot of people wanting something fresher, newer, more youthful.
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Yet in just a span of two years, creative director Daniel Lee has had to step up to the plate to marry the many heralded codes of the house with Lee’s own vision for sleek, contemporary design.
And it’s in this vein of fresh, new, youthful energy, that we find Daniel Lee’s spring/summer 2025 collection for Burberry.
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For starters, let me say that this was Lee’s most confident showing yet. In the span of the 50-something looks that he showed this season, one felt a sense of loosening of once-tightened nerves that can only come as Lee and company find surer footing.
On a Monday afternoon in the brutalist halls of the National Theatre in London, there was a sense that Lee wanted to return to the basics.
Across the lilac-carpeted floors, meandering rows of foldable metal chairs welcomed audience members that included Bright Vachirawit, Lila Moss, Olivia Colman, Son Sok Ku and many more. Flanking the runway, English artist Gary Hume had spliced out rectangles from draped sheets. The whole set felt pared down, as if we were returning to simpler times.
Burberry is a House that is synonymous with outerwear—particularly the trench coat—so if Lee was looking to return to provenance, then this seemed like a fitting place to start. Against a playfully lilting soundtrack, opening looks saw the classic Burberry trench in a myriad of different and new proportions: abbreviated lengths, deconstructed into a wrap dress, re-spliced into a swingy capelet, and so on.
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Overall, the outerwear felt elegant, young and deliciously tempting. On one model, it became a bow-topped jacket that swept into an ankle-length train in the back, and was worn with plaid trousers. It was cool, almost bossy; and will likely fly off the rack next season. Even the mens’ utilitarian safari-style jackets had some of the women around me cooing—signs that Lee knows his customer will borrow from her boyfriend’s wardrobe. Colours were lighter too in anticipation for summer days—soft sky blues, rich marigolds, powdery blush pinks and evergreen khaki were all part of Lee’s palette.
Lee is also known for his surprises, and this season, that showed in his use of sparkle by way of a series of sequined dresses. To tamp down the heady glamour that normally comes with a sparkly fringed dress, these knee-length designs were worn underneath oversized wool-trimmed parka coats—a perfect mix of high-low sensibilities that will resonate with the youth of London and how they’re dressing today. You could see this on the streets of Soho or in the marshy fields of Glastonbury—something that the likes of Poppy Delevingne, who was in attendance, would adore.
Here’s another thing about the English: they’re people who respect heritage, but that’s not to say that they don’t keep up with the times. On any street in London, you’d find a store that bears the name of its founders from centuries ago still proudly emblazoned on the doorpost, yet the products that they serve today are adapted and overhauled for the customer of 2024.
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In a lot of ways, Burberry and Lee are doing the same thing: It’s a brand that was founded in 1856, yet in the hands of Lee and his team, they’re bringing modern blood that feels contemporary and nuanced. It’s easy to throw out the baby with the bathwater when you’re trying to make your mark, but to approach a well-respected brand with over 100 years of history with equal amounts of reverence and measured rebelliousness in the way Lee does, that takes guts.
Judging from the palpable buzz that filled the room post-show, what Lee showed today was a gutsy, good show.