Burberry

Mother’s pride – my gift guide



Tal Angel silk scarves

It’s all about the women this week, with International Women’s Day tomorrow and Mother’s Day this Sunday. Despite my inner cynic, I still love Mother’s Day – it’s a good excuse to properly spoil our mums and there’s no shortage of great gift options around at the moment.

Beauty brands tend to highlight the twee-est stuff for Mother’s Day, but all the mums I know are super-cool and don’t want floral soaps and Cath Kidston wash bags. They like Liberty and Space NK or small batch organic oils. They love trying new fragrances (Amanda Carr’s We Wear Perfume site is great for discovery) and are just as swayed by chic packaging as the rest of us. (more…)



What will Burberry 3.0 with Riccardo Tisci look like?



Riccardo Tisci to Burberry

Well, I wasn’t expecting this! I was really hoping for Phoebe Philo at Burberry, but it appears the rumours that she’s not going anywhere else following her Celine departure are true. So news broke today that Riccardo Tisci will replace Christopher Bailey as chief creative officer of Burberry from 12th March.

It will be a relief for the internal teams. Having a directionless brand is not good for morale, and Tisci certainly has form for reinvention and strong, decisive branding. (more…)



LFW AW18 observations – part two



Burberry reissued archive collection Dover Street Market

Burberry’s youth play
Burberry swapped out its interactive show format this season with a much-simplified version. In recent seasons it has created cultural exhibitions as its catwalk backdrop that are then open to the public for a week or so. This season – Christopher Bailey’s last collection for the brand – it took place in a vast, dark warehouse with plain Jane chairs lining the perimeter.

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LFW AW18 observations – part one



Preen Beauty Vogue Runway


Sykes London

I eased into LFW on Friday with a first stop at Boden’s Future British showcase at 180 The Strand. This is the LFW base, a couple of blocks along from its former home in Somerset House. At the Future British breakfast, I got talking to Jo Sykes who is back in action with her own line, Sykes, having spend years working for other brands (Nicole Farhi, Aquascutum). I’ve always loved her pattern cutting and fabrications. If you love a silk shirt, she is your woman. (more…)