Daniel Lee Debuts Burberry Swimwear Campaign
● The images and short film were shot by Lee's collaborator Tyrone Lebon featuring checked bikinis, briefs, shorts, towels, beach bags and life jackets.
LONDON — Burberry's British summer time. The British fashion brand is taking its signature checks to the beach in Daniel Lee's debut swimwear campaign shot and filmed by Tyrone Lebon.
The campaign features Alex Schlab; Angelina Kendall; Candace Demers;
Ishmael Auguiste; Kaedon Baxter; Matheus Mesquita; Sophie Alice; Tess Carter, and Tianna St. Louis on a beach, with some swimming in the water, others sunbathing and on a boat.
Burberry's Equestrian Knight Design features throughout the campaign in white and electric blue for the black-and-white images. The design was last used by the brand's former chief creative officer, and Lee's friend, Christopher Bailey.
The original design, which shows a knight in Burberry livery galloping on a horse, was the winning entry of a public competition to design a new logo around 1901.
The design features the Latin word “prorsum,” which means “forward,” and was introduced by then-chief executive officer Rose Marie Bravo and creative director Roberto Menichetti and subsequently used regularly by Bailey when he was in charge.
Checked bikinis, briefs, shorts, robes, towels, bucket hats, beach bags and life jackets take center in the campaign with the exception of a black bikini with a checked trim outline.
The campaign's short film features an original score by Vegyn, who is famed for his work on Frank Ocean's “Blonde” and “Endless.”
Lee worked with Lebon on his debut creative images for Burberry ahead of his runway debut. The collaboration spotlighted homegrown talent including Vanessa Redgrave, Shygirl, Skepta and the English footballer Raheem Sterling set against the backdrop of Trafalgar Square, home of the National Gallery and Nelson's Column, and Albert Bridge, named for Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert.
In November last year, Burberry reported a robust first half, with revenue and profit both rising in the double digits at reported exchange driven by leather goods sales and the weaker pound.
The new CEO Jonathan Akeroyd also set out a series of punchy targets. His ambition is for revenue to grow to 4 billion pounds in the medium term, and 5 billion pounds in the long term, at constant exchange rates, and with “good” margin progression.
In the first half ended Oct. 1, revenue rose 11 percent to 1.35 billion pounds at reported exchange, boosted by the weaker British currency. At constant exchange, revenue rose 5 percent year-on-year.
Adjusted operating profit was up 21 percent to 238 million pounds at reported exchange, and 6 percent at constant rates. Profit for the six-month period rose 33 percent to 193 million pounds at reported exchange.
Shares were up 1.8 percent to 20.38 pounds in late-morning trading on the London Stock Exchange.
Sales of leather goods were up 11 percent in the first half, with the Lola bag now a bestseller. Sales of outerwear rose 3 percent in the six-month period.
Lee's fall 2023 collection will hit the shops later this year, where he injected vibrant colors into the brand with purples, reds, yellows and yellows — signaling that the Burberry's beige days are over.
The show was the talk of the town between buyers.
“Burberry was one of the clear favorites. Seeing the brand's heritage mixed in with Daniel Lee's innovative design approach and his strong use of color was really exciting,” Tiffany Hsu, vice president of womenswear and kidswear fashion buying at Mytheresa, told WWD.
Simon Longland, director of buying, fashion, at Harrods, agreed.
“Burberry made a powerful statement of his vision for the brand and interpretation of modern Britishness, and it was great to see a bolder, richer color palette coming through and adapting seamlessly to the brand's iconic codes,” he said.