By Peter Yeap

The debut menswear collection by Creative Director Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum was presented in Milan back in 2002, marking back then, a new direction for the British label.

After a decade showcasing in Italy, Burberry brings its menswear back to London this season, participating in the London Collections: Men event organized by the British Fashion Council.

In line with its Latin motto and brand name, "Burberry Prorsum" (Prorsum is 'Forward' in English), the return of Burberry to the British Capital — where its global headquarters is also located in Horseferry House —  represents a step forward, just as London surpasses the traditional twin cities of Paris and Milan as #1 Fashion Capital of the World.

For Burberry to showcase in London epitomizes a celebration of the quintessential tailoring roots of Burberry, with Christopher Bailey adding:

On Tuesday, 18 June, Burberry unveiled its Spring/Summer 2014 Menswear collection, inspired by painter David Hockney and writer Alan Bennett, famed Englishmen and artisans of the 1960's.

Two iconic looks — A cream linen suit with a perfect green paint smudge on it worn by Hockney and the bright-colored ties contrasted with knitwear seen on Bennett — provided the idea springboard for Bailey, who named his collection 'Writers and Painters' and described it as, 

Taking a fun and joyful approach to menswear, the Spring/Summer 2014 collection featured outerwear in relaxed silhouettes, unexpected yet delightful mash-ups of color and texture, from the casual to the semi-formal.

On several looks, Bailey paired an artist’s jacket and tailored dress shirt embellished with a whimsically loose tie, and finished off with a pair of slim trousers and colorful boat shoes.

Indeed, the confident use of colours has come to define Bailey's growing legacy with the brand.

Accessories such as colorful duffle pouch and document wallet, as well as the Burberry Wave Clear and Burberry Wave Dot sunglasses complete a fresh and modern outfit, well-suited for the summer.

In attendance at the fashion show held at Kensington Gardens were Wimbledon 2013 Womens' Champion Serena Williams and British singer Tinie Tempah as well as Asian celebrities including Bolin Chen, Chen Kun and Khalil Fong, who added to the glitter of the front row of the fashion show, which was in turn livestreamed on the Burberry website, Facebook, as well as numerous supporting partner websites and blogs, drawing in a global viewership for the highly-anticipated affair.

For those who could not make the event, or aspire to one day obtain an invitation, the experience was "as good as it gets", with superb camera panning and shot selection, handled masterfully over a "live" production.

Viewers were also able to view the runway looks and shop the collections immediately after the show on Burberry.com for one week until 25 June. Runway Made-to-Order service was once again availabe this season, having debuted earlier this year in February. Customers had the opportunity to be the first to own and have custom-made pieces from the collection before they are available in stores.

See the more photos from the runway