In a winter of record-breaking rain, Burberry – purveyor of the stalwart British coat – is back in the zeitgeist. A season of downpours has offered an apt backdrop for a return to kind, as the brand re-entered the FTSE 100 final autumn after an ignominious 12 months out of the charts.
The classic test scarf was ranked the fourth hottest fashion merchandise in the final quarter of 2025 on the search, gross sales and social media metrics of the Lyst index, with general demand for the brand up 239% 12 months on 12 months.
Designer Daniel Lee, talking backstage after the present for London fashion week, stated his studio in Burberry HQ has “this massive skylight, so I’ve been watching the rain pour down, and thinking about how London always has this incredible buzz. Even when it’s dark and wet people are still out every night”.
The Burberry present is itself a classic London evening out. Under the vaulted iron ribs of the outdated Billingsgate fish market, Daisy Edgar-Jones chatted to Olivia Dean as they waited for Kate Moss, who was 45 minutes late. Eberechi Eze sat in the entrance row and Romeo Beckham walked the catwalk.
Last season Burberry was about muddy competition fields, earlier than that it was nation home weekends, however this evening was all city power. Not simply trenchcoats, however faux-fur bomber jackets and padded leather-based jackets, worn with stompy leather-based boots that would run for a evening bus. The relaxation of us is perhaps sick of rain, however Burberry leant into it, pockmarking the catwalk with slick puddles – made of non-slip resin, since the fashions walked in 6in heels.
Burberry has doubled down on outerwear, accessorised by scarves, hats and umbrellas, as its bread and butter. The present opened with an ivory take on the trench-ballgown hybrid worn by Teyana Taylor at Sunday’s Baftas.
After an unsuccessful flirtation with high-concept fashion and even greater costs, Burberry underneath its American chief government, Joshua Schulman, is now betting on an aspirational buyer who is ready to spend money on a coat, and who will shell out for the cachet of a heritage identify, however has been priced out of the Paris and Milan tremendous manufacturers.
The turnaround has, nonetheless, come at a excessive value for the Burberry workforce. A minimize of 1,700 jobs globally, introduced final May, meant 150 roles have been axed at the Castleford manufacturing unit in Yorkshire, with the closure of the evening shift.
The checklist of names who’ve beforehand strutted the Burberry catwalk or sat in the entrance row reads like a line-up of Desert Island Discs episodes: from Richard E Grant to Joanna Lumley, Ian Wright and Naomi Campbell. This Christmas, the tree in the foyer of Claridge’s lodge was designed by Lee and wearing classic Burberry bows. A knight in full shining armour has made an look at a present, whereas black cabs and full English breakfasts make cameo appearances in advertisements.
Burberry’s newest adverts characteristic authentic British supermodel Twiggy and Maya Wigram, who is the mannequin daughter of designer and uber-tastemaker Phoebe Philo. Twiggy in a Sixties-style snake-print automobile coat is a referential nod to British fashion historical past. Wigram in a laser-cut trenchcoat is an if-you-know-you-know reminder about the pedigree of Lee, who labored alongside her mum for a lot of the 2010s when Philo helmed the Celine brand in Paris.
