The Italian designer Riccardo Tisci proves again he can favourably turn the fortunes of fashion. At Givenchy from 2005-2017 as Creative Director of couture and ready-to-wear, Tisci souped up designs and profits across all categories within two years, now at Burberry he repeats the success in record time.
The minute that Tisci was appointed as Chief Creative Officer to Burberry in 2018, the Burberry share price jumped. Tisci followed Christopher Bailey, the British designer who internationalised the Burberry check, hitherto the lining of trenchcoats that was introduced in 1920, making it ubiquitous and instantly recognisable, in 2014 it was reported Burberry realised £2.5billion.
Burberry recently announced the excellent consumer response to Tisci’s product ranges, with new collections delivering strong double-digit year on year percentage growth, attributed to popular collections and the continued building of Burberry brand heat, and shifting consumer perceptions dueto improved social media traction on Instagram and WeChat, plus positive press coverage and organic endorsement from influencers. Comparable store sales grew +4% with growth led by new product and the Asia Pacific marketincreased driven by Mainland China up mid-teens; Burberry have 194 distributions outlets across the Asia-Pacific region.
Riccardo Tisci is a graduate of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in North London; Tisci’s sartorial imagination has impressed and dressed the stars, Rihanna, Beyonce, Kate Moss, Madonna and Kanye West, he can translate multiple concepts into clothes and a plethora of accessories. His designs are notably edgy and elegant, mixing up stereotypes and individualism, tailoring and drapery, masculine with feminine, a corset to make hips look fuller, kaftans with giantThomas Burberry monograms,pleats and pussycat bows, block capital letters on shirt dresses or hoodies and capitalising on the traditional Burberry colours of camel, black and red.
Thomas Burberry founded the brand in 1856, in 1879 he invented the breathable, hardwearing and above all waterproof fabric gabardine, in the early days Burberry garments were worn by artic explorers and aviators; during WWII Burberry supplied the British Army, Navy and Airforce with military apparel, including their famous trenchcoat. After the war Burberry style was eclipsed by Dior in the 1950’s, Mary Quant in the 1960’s, Yves Saint Laurent in the 1970’s, Armani in the 1980’s, Alexander McQueen in the 1990’s, it was in the years from 2000 that Burberry began its renaissance as an iconic, luxury global brand.
The Autumn-Winter 2019 collection called “Tempest” that was presented on catwalks in February at Tate Modern Gallery,is inspired by the contrasts in the British weather, very appropriate and noticeable today on 25th July, with temperatures of 38C+ and railway tracks predicted to melt!