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Burberry Prorsum -- Prime Real Estate
By Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Jan 14, 2003 /FWD/ --- Maybe Burberry’s creative director Christopher Bailey
was a wealthy property owner in another life.
Besides being a talented designer, he certainly has an unerring eye for wonderful real estate.
For the presentation of Burberry Prorsum fall-winter 2003 collection, Bailey unearthed
a strikingly fine room with 40-foot high ceilings covered in delicate Lombard designs in
the Palazzo Barozzi.
The setting summed up how Bailey has subtly revamped the British label, by combining pop
culture with practical clothes in Prorsum, the house’s fashion forward collection.
Bailey’s drawn heavily on students’ looks of late, but this season he found inspiration
in Power Pop, even going so far as to play that great forgotten classic, The Stranglers
version of "Walk on By."
"I just wanted to create technical sportswear," Bailey explained backstage when asked
about the ‘80s references.
Still, the half the footwear was composed of pointy, perforated winkle pickers with side laces.
I remember seeing those, albeit less attractive versions, in the windows of Trash & Vaudeville
on my way to The Mudd Club some 20 years ago.
The other half of the footwear was sure to be a hit: multi-strap-running sneakers with
Badlands-type frills.
One big new idea was taking things like jodhpur fabrics and using them in peg leg pants,
as tight as leggings, though with sleek pockets, worn with mini wool jackets, just like
the one in which he received compliments backstage.
His best idea was playing around with the neckline, adding hoods and attached jockey caps
to raincoats and plaid duffel coats.
Retailing might well be gloomy but there was plenty of fun on the catwalk with bright yellow,
traffic light green and a shining blue that showed up on the invitations to the show.
Even if the finale itself was pretty somber – some truly great pants and jackets in black
and charcoal signature plaid.
They were cool, but will be hot sellers.
Now, when is Christopher going to produce an architectural guide to Milan?
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