The womenswear presentation by Burberry Prorsum held last September during London Fashion Week at its custom-built venue at Kensington Gardens, featured a flora & fauna-inspired collection aptly named 'The Birds and The Bees'.
The entomology references were complimented by an ode to the British pastoral, a continuation of the inspiration from the menswear collection — acclaimed novelist and travel writer Bruce Chatwin.
Oversize butterfly, dragonfly, ladybird prints, as well as hand-drawn honey bees, were prominent on both the runway and the transparent roof above, providing a stained-glass greenhouse atmosphere for the some 1,500 guests attending the event.
Adding a live musical element to the affair was British singer-songwriter and Burberry Acoustic musician James Bay who performed the accompanying soundtrack to the catwalk presentation.
Burberry CEO and Chief Creative Director, Christopher Bailey, explained "I love the idea of wildlife and things that have been born again."
"We mixed things that were very fragile like denim and gabardine with things that were very fine and delicate like silks."
The theme and its motifs were evident on the trench coats, wasp waist denim jackets, layered tulle dresses, field jackets to draped skirts.
Fabrics used in the collection include printed honey gabardine, dégradé silk and suede, wing-pleat tulle, butterfly printed satin, iridescent sequins, indigo denim, glossy shell leather, shearling as well as textured silk.
Prints inspired from 1940s book covers also showcased in the men’s collection, gave the nostalgia-inducing outfits an updated, modern and glamorous twist.
"We had been looking at this idea of the 'birds and the bees' and feeling very free… So it was this idea of these two contradictions but then I wanted it to also be about the joy of fashion and the joy of this industry," Bailey elaborated.
We did a lot of colour, a lot of print."
Taking centerstage through the presentation were delicate bandaged tulle dresses in eye-catching and uniquely-named colours of poppy red, fern yellow, pale sweet pea, dragonfly blue, beetle green and rose hip.
The multi-coloured palette extended to the accessories, on the Burberry Bee Bag, the Burberry Mini Bee Bag, book cover print pouches, and the Burberry Dragonfly Belt.
Models making their way down the catwalk did so not on heels, but refreshingly with flat shoewear in the form of the Burberry Field Sneaker and the Burberry Field Sandal - undoubtedly a welcome addition to add to the carefree glamour for summer sojourns.
The British label celebrates the 100th anniversary of its iconic trench coat, and the signature piece was adorned with bold abstract prints, and emblazoned with slogans such as "insects" and "flower" to form a beautiful mosaic of colours in the finale parade, led by Suki Waterhouse.
