As you pound the streets of London this fashion week, feeling stimulated, overwhelmed and unseasonably warm, you’d be forgiven for thinking that those Burberry checks everywhere were some kind of Fashion Week frenzy-induced mirage.
But no, they’re going to be very real indeed. Still in the infancy of his creative director-ship, Daniel Lee is determined to make a splash this week as his debut AW23 collection goes live, and his second is to be shown next Monday, September 18.
As such, he’s got the whole capital involved, in one way or another. Taxis are set to be wrapped in Burberry’s English rose print, as designed by Lee, pavements will feature chalk insignias of his re-defined equestrian knight design and flags above Bond Street and Piccadilly Circus’ screens will fly Burberry patterns. Up, down, around - wherever you look in central London, Burberry will be there.
This is the mission of Burberry Streets, which will move on from London to Seoul and Shanghai this October. The most exciting Burberry takeover, though, has to be the collaboration with cult Tufnell Park-based cafe Norman’s, beginning this week.
It’s fitting, seen as the working-men’s-style caff is instantly recognisable from its own signature check, in the form of linoleum floors and shopfront curtains, which routinely litter the Instagram feeds of trendy Londoners.
Norman’s and Burberry will be uprooting the cafe and taking to the streets of London, serving traditional English breakfast foods to the hungry, fashionable masses, via a food truck. For a chance to grab some egg and chips, head down to The Strand or Duke of York Square, where the truck is set to make appearances from Wednesday to Sunday.
Norman’s cafe in Tufnell Park will also be repping the updated blue Burberry check, as well as Lee’s little Equestrian Knights, which are dotted across its plates and signage. If you’re looking for a high fashion update on your full English, head to 167 Junction Road, N19 5PZ before September 18.
Of the Burberry Streets campaign, Rod Manley, Burberry CMO, has said: “We are so excited to see Daniel's first collection arriving in store and online. With our redesigned website, new brand signifiers across product and branding and the launch of our global Burberry Streets initiative here in our home market, we're looking forward to sharing the new Burberry world with our clients.”
