by Adele Decarolis
In a sort of modern mythology, Burberry’s Spring Summer 2021 collection tells the love story between a mermaid and a shark: a fairy tale with an unexpected plot, set in the deep ocean, whose water becomes the reference model for Chief Creative Officer Riccardo Tisci.
Water is the symbol of regeneration, of the life that grows, and of the dynamic youth: these are all the themes that inspired the collection, named In Bloom for this reason.
The internationally renowned artist Anne Imhof was called to collaborate on this project: she and Riccardo Tisci created a show where games of aesthetics, ideologies and tensions have become protagonists, on the notes of the musician Eliza Douglas.
The show was designed as a performance staged for a digital audience: it was a real show in which freedom of expression prevailed. Water remained the main object even in the structure of the parade: models crossed the catwalk in a flow of bodies, as if they were a single thing, representing a rising and decreasing tide of figures that move in space.
In a setting that evokes the English beach, recalling also at the same time the rough urban environment, women’s clothing manages to be a perfect combination of mystical and natural, being also at once strong and delicate, hard and soft, thanks to the presence of tulle and chiffon details, fishnet stockings with crystals, and allegorical prints.
Trench coats and parka coats are revolutionized: the first ones are characterized by rubber cotton inserts, leather and details of a denim jacket, while the second ones have panels with prints and protective rubber, canvas and leather. The collection also presents different types of trousers: double waist, denim trousers inspired by fishermen’s style, or even a transparent chiffon version with printed shorts details. The Burberry woman wears in the evening veiled dresses draped with crystal embellishments, or a polo shirt combined with leggings worn under cut trousers.
The elegant but practical style of the maritime wardrobe is chosen for men: it also contains rubberized finishes, denim and the gabardine by Thomas Burberry. In Bloom has a sleeveless trench coat, a heat-sealed parka and a cotton caban; other special elements are the typical seaman suits in canvas, an English-style jacket, a fisherman’s sweater, straight trousers in transparent chiffon, cut-out shirts and details in mesh fabric with crystals.
The Burberry Spring Summer 2021 collection also contains a Pocket Bag collection consisting of an oversized hobo, a duffel bag, and the Olympia bag in canvas and leather; inevitable also a new fishing hat in canvas and leather.
The main colors are blue, cobalt, the typical sailors’ orange and shades of Burberry’s beige. In Bloom has been a way to allow fashion to communicate and excite, and Riccardo Tisci celebrated the distinctive features of Burberry, which means its character and nature, through garments characterized by a dynamic and modern energy.
