A new path has been set for the great British mega-brand, and the person leading the crusade is Burberry’s newly appointed Chief Creative Officer, Riccardo Tisci. In March 2018 it was announced that he would be taking over from Christopher Bailey, promising great change to the company’s visual identity. Joining him in the brand’s revival is Chief Executive Officer, Marco Gobbetti, who’s 5-year plan aims to reposition Burberry as a genuine luxury player. In recent years, the company’s sales growth has significantly fallen behind rivals like LVMH and Kering, but with a change in strategy and some new names at the helm, Burberry has forged solid ground to re-assume their position as a major player in the fashion and luxury leather goods industry as a whole.

Only a few months ago, Tisci took to his personal Instagram account to reveal the brand’s new logo and monogram design. The logo, now featuring stark capital letters, spells out “Burberry London England,” replacing the previously softer and rounder font. The monogram incorporates the founder Thomas Burberry’s initials “TB” interlocked across a honeyed background. The logo and monogram print appeared across all Burberry channels and in a new advertising campaign, marking the first time in almost 20 years that the brand has changed its logo (the previous being when Burberry dropped the “S” from its name, which was designed by Fabien Baron in 1999). Created in collaboration with the renowned British art director and graphic designer Peter Saville, who is best known for his New Order and Joy Division record sleeves, alongside his recent work for Calvin Klein under Raf Simons — the brand’s updated graphic identity was inspired by Tisci’s visit to the house’s archive, where he discovered, “a logo from 1908 and a Thomas Burberry monogram.”

Following the 2008 financial crisis, the fashion that had so outwardly promoted commercialism and consumption soon fell out of favour, prompting big names like Louis Vuitton to change their ways. We saw the reversal of heavily branded clothes and signature stamped pieces, which became available for only limited-edition goods. This not only decreased the availability of such pieces but it also increased exclusivity for most luxury brands, thus increasing their demand. Today, we are seeing the same luxury brands returning to logos, like Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele who is leading a maximalist revolution by re-introducing the brand’s interlocking G motif from its ‘90s heyday and re-packaging it for a younger audience by decorating it with flowers or incorporating playful motifs. With plans to renew a focus on leather goods, which has previously accounted for less than 40 percent of revenue, Burberry’s new logo and monogram design couldn’t have come at a better time.

In addition to the new changes, Riccardo Tisci has just revealed a second line for Burberry, this time an incredible pre-collection for the Fall/Winter 2019 season. Tisci himself describes the collection as a “continuation of the story I began to tell in September,” referencing the Spring/Summer 2019’s largely successful debut of the “Kingdom” collection. This most recent presentation sees streetwear inspired styles, military chic vibes, preppy new-age undertones and reworks of the brand’s signature check patterns and trench coats, expanding upon themes he explored last season. Tisci has explained that he has begun, “Focusing on establishing our codes through archive prints, house colours, and iconic outerwear,” which seems to be a part of his wider strategy to reposition the brand over time.

In this pre-collection, the Italian designer incorporates cultivated beauty and a contemporary touch, yet again proving the ability to blend elements of streetwear and high fashion, a style that made him a true success at Givenchy for over a decade. He also built on his much-loved animal motifs, like the leopard collar curled around the neck of a Dalmatian print car coat and a faux patchwork shearling coat that nods to the brand’s new anti-fur policy. Additionally featured is the new TB monogram that was seen on a dark green camouflage hoodie, shorts, a cape, and in more subtle styles on scarves, satin skirts and silk blouses. The new design is also shown on an orange puffer vest and across men’s shirts and suits. The many must-have pieces (like the soft-edged trench coat, made from sweatshirt grey jersey) reveals Tisci’s vision for a new chapter in Burberry’s ever-changing story. The full collection will be released in May 2019 and we are definitely looking forward to it and whatever else Burberry does next, including a soon-to-be-released collab collection with Vivienne Westwood.

By Max Daly, Founder

www.instagram.com/maximilliondaly

BURBERRY REBORN: Riccardo Tisci and the FW19 Pre-Collection