Burberry’s Fall/Winter 2014 collection was shown at London Fashion Week on Monday and was dubbed The Bloomsbury Girls. It featured designs that brought to mind walking works of art, thanks to beautiful, hand-painted detailing of the light and airy collection that descended into deeper, darker tones.
Some of the pieces had a summery feel, with models wearing white hand-painted boots and dresses. But cozy coats were also plentiful and added soft, luxurious warmth. These were often topped with scarves or ponchos that were sometimes worked into the silhouette rather than simply accessorizing the looks. Think scarves with over-printed icons, painted flower-and-leaf prints, and equestrian blankets.
Relaxed trench coats, trench coat ponchos, blanket ponchos, and equestrian topcoats were shown in subtle, but beautiful, shades like larch yellow or bright olive.
A beige raincoat of sorts was jazzed up with motifs from nature in bold colors that turned the neutral canvas into a walking painting. A scarf and bag in contrasting shades and patterns enhanced this busy, but feminine, look.
Each model clutched a Bloomsbury bag in one hand, all a variation on the new, hand-painted leather and suede piece.
The collection had varying degrees of elegance. A casual leather hand-painted jacket was tied with a rope-like belt. A more elegant pencil dress/trench looked a little like a kimono that was tied with a feminine sash.
But woven throughout the collection were the beautiful scarves used in a variety of ways. Sometimes an entire look seemed to be made up of many separate scarves that were combined to make a dress, while others used the idea of a long scarf draped over dresses and coats, sometimes wound beneath a belt.
The theme continued in a couple of the men's looks, where draped material worn between a loose-fitting suit and a colorful jacket looked as if the model had forgotten to remove his dressing gown before going out.
And then there were the blankets worn across one shoulder over warm looking coats that gave an upscale apache feel.
The collection employed a variety of fabrics, included English-woven cotton gabardine, hand-painted leather, suede and shearling, and Scottish-woven wool cashmere.
Adding to the sense of style, live music included "Wandering Eye," performed by Ed Harcourt, "Raise Your Love" performed by Rhodes, and "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" performed by Paloma Faith.
