Christopher Bailey checks out in rainbow for last Burberry show
After 17 years at the helm, his legacy has finally come to an end as Christopher Bailey presented his swansong for Burberry at the recent London Fashion Week and he went out with a massive bang!
For this Burberry February 2018 collection, Christopher decided to pay tribute to the LGBTQ+ youth with a new iteration of Burberry’s iconic checks – the Rainbow Check.
And for his final bow, all of Christopher's favourite muses, both new and old, were present to walk down the runway one last time for him including Cara Delevingne, Adwoa Aboah and Edie Campbell.
Below are our show notes of the collection:
"My final collection here at Burberry is dedicated to - and in support of - some of the best and brightest organisations supporting LGBTQ+ youth around the world."
That was Christopher's note to the show, one that was seen as his most personal and heartfelt collection ever, and he brought out a plethora of rainbow, all subtlely and boldly plastered throughout the ready-to-wear and accessories.
Closely representing the LGBTQ+ rainbow, the collection, showcasing 80s and 90s nuances, was one filled with joy, freedom, optimism and inclusiveness; and with that, Christopher also celebrated the concept of time.
The keynote of the collection (rainbows aside) was "Reflecting the past. Celebrating the present. Heralding the future.", which made perfect sense for his final show, named "Time", to tell the story of his 17-years-long journey at Burberry.
Of all the looks presented at the Burberry February 2018 show, the one that captured our hearts the most was the rainbow fur cape on Cara Delevingne as the closing look.
Christopher's long-time muse (since 2009/2010), Cara made a runway comeback after disappearing from the stage since 2016, making the perfect closing.
Another stunner was Adwoa Aboah who wore an oversized painted hoodie and a white skirt with pleated rainbows.
The overall collection was one that brings out nuances of the 80s and 90s a touch of street style influence, similar to Gosha x Burberry, and incorporates various vintage Burberry staples like the resurrection of the Burberry Sports logo in coats and tote bags.
And of course, the Rainbow Check was prominently featured in both ready-to-wear and accessories in various ways and on top of our list is that Rainbow Check tote bag.
Bring a "See Now, Buy Now" collection that's available for pre-order now, many of the items are already sold out!
(Swipe gallery below and click to zoom in on our favourite looks of the collection)
With such a magnificent show, the guest list is definitely the most impressive one as Burberry hosts over 1,300 guests to witness its rainbow laser light filled extravagance.
Christopher's muses were all in attendance at The Dimco Buildings, Weste London (where the show was held) including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, Jourdan Dun and the list goes on.
And a Burberry show wouldn't be complete without the brightest British talents, Asian celebrities and Hollywood megawatt stars like Idris Elba, Zendaya, Zhou Dongyu, Tom Holland, Sienna Miller, Naomi Watts, Paris Jackson and so on, all dressed in Burberry of course.
Having a long-standing relation with music, Christopher also curated a special playlist for Burberry to accompany the runway show, which is now available on iTunes, titled "17 Years of Soundtrack".
[Photo: Vogue Runway]
For his final act, he did not just pay tribute to the LGBTQ+ with a colourful collection.
In fact, Christopher Bailey and Burberry extended their hand out to support and made donations to three LGBTQ+ organisations – the Albert
Kennedy Trust, the Trevor Project and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).
On his work, Christopher says, "There has never been a more important time to say that in our diversity lies our strength and our creativity."
Alas, comes the end of an era and we couldn't be happier and prouder of what Christopher has brought us over the last 17 years. Thank you and good luck!
"My final collection here at Burberry is dedicated to and in support of - some of the best and brightest organisations supporting LGBTQ+ youth around the world."
– Christopher Bailey
