Credit: Instagram @burberry

The roots of Burberry have been replanted, and tending to its success is Riccardo Tisci.

Rounding out almost 12 months since his appointment as Creative Director of Burberry, Tisci has had a short but influential reign on Britain’s top heritage fashion house, and according to his latest collection, this is just the beginning of an extensive upheaval. Titled “tempest”, Tisci presented Autumn/Winter 2019 at London Fashion Week and while the initial reaction was mixed, its exactly what should be expected from the master of streetwear.

Since the beginning, Tisci has always stood by the mantra, “including not excluding” and for the occasion of AW/19 no exceptions were made. Drawing inspiration from “contrasts in British culture and weather”, the runway was reconfigured to present youthful offerings first before moving into classic formalwear and mature pieces. Speaking to a range of demographics and audiences, the runway was also held in two separate rooms; one clad with concrete and scaffolding inspired by the street and another far more discrete for luxury appeal. But perhaps the most impactful aspect – as all shows should be – was the extensive and often avant garde designs on offer.

For followers of a classic Burberry, the most recent collection would have come as quite a surprise, even after what was considered a commercial and “safe” first collection from the designer. While neat tailoring and clean designs made up much of Spring/Summer 2019, the latest line is if anything, an accurate depiction of Tisci as a creative.

Hailing from Givenchy and Versace, the Italian-born has always been known to be unapologetically bold in his approach to clothes. Sitting at the helm of Burberry, in a short time he has reinvented its monogram, created a small yet influential army of celebrity influencers and now, the luxury brand is speaking to the youth of today. Far more casual than past collections, models donned coordinating tracksuits and sneakers, elevated through oversized outerwear in a slew of textures and colours. Like the aforementioned runway format, kit essentials and the classic check made an appearance throughout, while tailored pieces were dressed down with sporting inspired pieces to round out the show.

With the need to please loyalists, a new generation of youth and most importantly, shareholders of the empire, Tisci’s vision is not yet complete. But giving Burberry a much needed push into a modern era, its the start of a new day for the heritage brand.