BURBERRYs Breath of Fresh Air
Burberry just announced the opening of a new store in Milan, which marks a next step in the brand’s positioning on the market, not only creatively but also business-wise.
In September 2022, Burberry surprised the fashion world with the announcement of their new Creative Director, Daniel Lee. In his new role, the British designer changed the face of the brand entirely, starting by unveiling a new logo, which was last renewed in 2018 by former Creative Director Ricardo Tisci. Lee then continued by implementing his vision for the brand into collections and campaigns, paying homage to the original Burberry aesthetic while giving it some fresh air. Combining these different factors gives the brand a new, modern visual identity while retaining its historical DNA.
Burberry is known for its first-in-class omnichannel distribution strategy, and considering the new adaptions implemented by Lee, it was only a matter of time before we could have expected these changes to be reflected in the visual merchandising of their stores, creating a cohesive brand image. With Burberry’s announcement of their new store in Milan, they revealed the new creative vision for their stores, which ties in with the sum of the new adaptions for the brand since Lee’s appointment.
Under Ricardo Tisci, the stores were mainly decorated in the brand’s iconic check colours: beiges, browns, white and red accents. Parts of the stores, such as the ceiling, were even adorned in a modern manner with the distinctive pattern. The new visual merchandising, however, changes this image of the brand’s interiors. It excites the public with a much more minimal approach to interior design and plays with a white, grey, and black colour palette. The only other colours can be found in the collection presented, creating specific focus points.
Regarding the furniture, while the counters and rails are much more rustical than before, the sofas and side tables complement them with rounded shapes. Furthermore, the fixtures include sculptural handmade furnishings inspired by 1960s British abstract art and the creative salvage movement of the 1980s. While these details are already significant factors that changed the face of the Burberry stores as we know them, the floor is another significant renewal that shapes the atmosphere of an interior space. Having previously had light-coloured carpets and parquet flooring under Tisci and even his forerunner, Christopher Bailey, Lee switched it up with concrete, adapting the style of traditional mosaic floors typically found in Italy. It features a handcrafted marble mosaic in the form of Burberry’s Equestrian Knight Design, which was reimplemented into the brand by Lee from the Burberry archive.
With the opening of this new store in Milan at Via Sant’Andrea, next to fashion forward-minded brands like Maison Margiela or Off-White and brands known for their traditional approach, such as Chanel or Giorgio Armani, the brand clearly positions itself on the market. Combined with Daniel Lee’s refreshing vision, we are excited to see where Burberry goes next!
photos COURTESY BY THE BRAND
author JON FLOYD LENZ