Tisci Brings Flamboyance to London
Burberry has always held the position as a classic high-end European brand with antique British pieces that have translated throughout generations. Their classic plaids found on their trench coats, scarves, and kilts always represented a sense of professionalism that if worn a certain way presented a stylish oxymoron for millennial fashion lovers. Since Riccardo Tisci, former creative director of Givenchy, offset his role at Burberry in 2018 he has brought some flash back to Burberry, changing its dull nature to a line with more of a youthful aesthetic.
Tisci gained notable popularity when he designed the infamous Rottweiler sweatshirt for Givenchy in the early 2010’s. He influenced the blending of streetwear and high-end styles when he began implementing more casual looks into Givenchy’s catalog and affordable pieces differing from their high-priced evening gowns. His implementation of those gaudy high-end pieces developed a reputation for his music industry influenced chic. Tisci also displayed his talent in his frequent collaborations with Nike. His futuristic air force one designs looked perfect for the runway and played a role in making their silhouette a staple in high fashion looks.
In 2018 when Tisci took this position at Burberry it evoked excitement in many who wondered what he would do for the brand; especially during this time period where fashion is in a very weird state where the lines between what’s high end and what isn’t are very blurred. The way his style has translated in these new Burberry designs has been nothing short of impressive and he’s introduced Burberry into a regard that is similar to what they received when they first became popular in the Hip-Hop community in the 2000s. At a time period where we saw Burberry bikinis on red carpets and baggy Burberry trunks with 4XL T-shirts on it gave off the clear impression that Burberry wasn’t the dull business casual brand it had a reputation for being. Tisci’s “TB” logo’d hats and shorts are definitely restoring the feeling. Tisci’s relationship with figures in the community such as Kanye West and Frank Ocean is clearly communicated through his designs and how he dresses and lives on a daily basis. His expensive foreign vacations on yachts and villas made him perfect for bringing back that flamboyant luxury we looked for in Burberry when it reached mass popularity. Some of his most noteworthy designs are jackets with the classic Burberry plaids, covered in red lettering that read ‘Burberry.’ The different color variations, tones, and logo placements bring the excitement to the British line that it was lacking.
The trench coat is a piece that dates back to 1900 designed by Burberry founder Thomas Burberry. It was invented for the British Military to wear in World War 1 as there was a need for lighter coats to wear during combat. To see how over a hundred years later this piece has translated through generations globally and still stands as a staple in high end fashion is mind blowing in itself. Tisci’s ability to carry on that legacy in his own variation just demonstrates his skill as a designer and his creative eye.
By: Kamari Williams