Burberry Prosum Spring/Summer 2014

Ready to Wear Collection

By Tarek Ayoub, Shalini Gupta, Cally MacLean, Vinetta Raturi & Tanha Shah Nov 29th 2013

Background
Burberry Prorsums Spring/Summer 2014 Ready to Wear Collection was presented at London Fashion Week on September 16, 2013 in front of top fashion editors and celebrities including Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung. Burberrys Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey won rave reviews for the collection, with British Vogue proclaiming that he is at the top of his game. (British Vogue, 2013) Bailey is a graduate of the Royal College of Art in London. He began his career at Donna Karan and has also designed for Gucci. Bailey has been with Burberry since 2001 and was promoted to Chief Creative Officer in 2009. (Wikipedia, 2013) As Burberrys Chief Creative Designer, he is responsible for the companys overall image including all advertising, corporate art direction, store design and visuals as well as the design of all Burberry collections and product lines. (Wikipedia, 2013) Bailey has transformed the brand from fussy and traditional and has given it a youthful, fun vibe. The houses latest campaigns have been fronted by young British stars including Emma Watson, Suki Waterhouse and Sienna Miller, and they have also served as a platform for young British rock bands. For the Spring/Summer 2014 Ready to Wear Collection, which was named English Rose, Bailey was inspired by both a garden as well as by the beautiful porcelain skin, rosy cheeked Englishwoman known as an English Rose. He also drew inspiration from the brands traditional British heritage. (Baird-Murray, 2013)

Fashion Theme
The fashion theme of Burberry s Spring/Summer 2014 Ready to Wear Collection is sensual, romantic, ethereal and soft, yet also sassy and sexy. Bailey perfectly achieved these themes through his use of fabrics, textures, clean lines and simple silhouettes, as well as his colour palette of both soft pastels and bright, bold colours. Bailey said of his collection: I wanted the collection to feel gentle and tender and romantic and kind and I wanted people to have a little smile inside and I had been looking at these beautiful English rose gardens. I liked the idea of playing with fragility and strength at the same time and then taking these very noble fabrics like cashmeres that we made in Scotland and laces that we made in this beautiful factory in Nottingham in England and combining those different worlds. The collection is also a celebration of craftsmanship as well, playing with different textures and different ways of approaching textiles. What I wanted to do was to take out all of the construction in the coat and make them much more sensual and I like the idea of taking the spirit of a cardigan and making that into a coat and how we could translate that as a coat. I like this idea of playing with gauzy and light and transparent with something that was still light but that had a solidness and opacity to it. (Fashion One, 2013)

Fabrics
Burberrys Spring/Summer 2014 Ready to Wear Collection featured cashmere, angora, organza, suede, lace, raw silk, cotton silk and vinyl. Base Fabrics & Novelty Fabrics The base fabrics include cashmere, angora, organza and suede, while the novelty fabrics are lace, raw silk, cotton silk and vinyl. Choice of Fabrics Based on Their Characteristics & Serviceability Lace Burberrys 2014 Spring/Summer Ready to Wear Collection featured shirts, skirts and dresses constructed from lace. Lace is an exquisite decorative fabric which has an open web like pattern. It was traditionally handmade, but now it is generally machine made. Lace fabric is transparent and it can be made from a variety of fibers such as nylon, polyester, linen, wool, cotton, silk and rayon. Although more fragile than other materials, if handled carefully, lace can be relatively easy to sew. To keep lace in top condition, it must be dry cleaned. (Glenn, 2013) Lace was chosen to add a delicate, feminine touch to the apparel. A soft, gentle look can be clearly expressed through the use of lace. Lace also represents love and romanticism, which is one of the moods that Bailey was trying to express with this collection.

Trench Coat from Lace (Burberry, 2013) 3

Fabrics
Cashmere Sweaters, cardigans and coats were made of cashmere. Cashmere fibers are derived from the Cashmere goat, which is native to China. It is luxurious and expensive. It is fine in texture, light, durable and exceptionally soft. Cashmere has good insulating properties and garments made from it keep the wearer well-insulated. It is a long-lasting fiber and cashmere garments are easy to take care of. Cashmere can be worn next to the skin without irritation due to its soft nature. (Wikipedia, 2013) Bailey chose to include cashmere garments in his collection as it helped create the soft, gentle and kind mood that Bailey wanted the collection to have. Also, Bailey wanted those wearing the cashmere garments to feel warm, cocooned and protected by Caban from Cashmere (Burberry, 2013) being enveloped in cashmere. Cotton Silk Trench coats were made of cotton silk. Cotton silk is usually a blend of 55% cotton and 45%, mixing the best characteristics of both fibers into a one textile. (NY Fashion Center) Cotton silk has good drapability and a soft hand. It has satisfactory durability. Due to its blend of cotton and silk, cotton silk is more durable than raw silk but less so than cotton. (NY Fashion Center) Cotton silk was chosen because due to its cotton content, it allowed Bailey to work with a sturdier, stiffer fabric, which was well-suited to outerwear and achieved the perfect drape. Like raw silk, cotton silk is still quite luxurious. Trench Coat from Cotton Silk (Burberry, 2013)

Fabrics
Raw Silk The collection featured blouses and outerwear constructed from silk. Silk is a natural fiber that is derived from silk worms. Silk has a natural luster as its fibers have a triangular cross section with rounded corners. (Textile Fibre, 2013) Due to this property, light is able to hit silk fibers at numerous angles, which causes the fibers to reflect the light and produce brightness, shine and luster. Silk has a lovely soft hand. It is soft, smooth and gentle to the touch. (Textile Fibre, 2013) Silk takes dye well and has good colour fastness. Due to its natural luster, the colours of dyed silk are quite luminous. Silk has exceptional drapability. Due to its lightweight and suppleness it has the ability to drape close to the body and flow with the wearer. Silk has excellent resilience and is the strongest natural fiber. It is prone to wrinkling, but wrinkles generally fall out of silk if the garment is hung on a hanger. In order to be kept in top condition, silk must be carefully cared for. It is sensitive to both light and heat. Exposure to direct sunlight deteriorates silk, resulting in yellowing and weakening of the fabric. Furthermore, silk deteriorates at 330F and must be ironed at a low setting. (Textile Learner) Due silks characteristics and serviceability, as well as Baileys vision for the collection, silk was the ideal fiber to use in blouses and outerwear. Bailey likely chose to construct these garments from raw silk since this fabric did an excellent job of conveying the theme and mood of his collection. Due to its drapability, hand and natural luster, silk garments are soft, ethereal, sensual, soft and sexy. Both the silk outerwear and blouses were in bold colours are were quite luminous due to silks natural luster. Silk is also extremely luxurious, making it a perfect fabric for high-end designer clothing.

Caban from raw silk (Burberry, 2013) 5

Fabrics
Organza Blouses were made from organza. Organza is a crisp, sheer, lightweight weave fabric that is usually made from silk or synthetic fibers. The separate strands are twisted tightly, then woven together to provide texture to the finished fabric. (Watkins) Organza is similar to cotton, although it is more transparent and thinner. It is easy to care for, takes dye well and has a crisp drape. Although it is a stiff fabric, it is soft next to the skin. (Watkins) Organza was chosen to give sheen, shine, and an elegant touch to the blouses as it is an expensive looking fabric. Since it is a sheer lightweight fabric, it provided the sassiness and sexiness that Bailey wanted in his collection. Suede Suede was used for outerwear in the collection. Suede is a type of leather that is most commonly derived from lamb, goat, deer or calf skin. In the apparel industry, it is most generally used in outerwear, handbags and shoes. It has a napped finish. Its most distinctive properties are its softness, pliability and thinness. These properties make it well-suited for use in apparel and accessories. Suede is less durable than leather, but it has a softer hand. Suede requires extensive care to keep it in top condition. As it has open pores, it can soil easily. (Futons to Go, 2013) Suede was chosen as it is traditionally used in outerwear. It was chosen to for its softness, and its ability to envelope the wearer and protect her from the elements.

Blouse from organza(Burberry, 2013)

Caban from suede(Burberry, 2013)

Fabrics
Merino Wool The collection featured overcoats made from Merino wool. Merino wool comes from the Merino sheep, a breed that is native to central Spain. Merino wool has exceptional durability and flexibility. It has great wicking properties as it can hold up to 30% of its weight in moisture, making it naturally odor resistant. It has a soft hand and is comfortable against the body as it has longer and finer fiber ends than other grades of wool. Therefore it is ideal for sensitive skin. It is easy to care for and does not wrinkle easily. Finally, Merino wool has excellent insulating properties, keeping the wearer cool in warm climates and warm in cold climates. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013) Bailey chose to construct overcoats from Merino wool as it added a romantic and dreamy feeling to the collection. The softness of the fine Merino wool overcoats combined with pastel colour palette of rose, mint, lavender and cornflower blue complimented the romantic and sexy look that Bailey wanted to deliver. The warmth of the Merino wool created a soft, gentle and kind mood, protecting the model by enveloping her in fabric. This warmth was also transmitted to the fashion shows invitees. Three looks were made of Merino wool. The design simplicity of the first and third looks, with dropped shoulders, elongated notch lapels and a low button closure, gave the garments a relaxed Chesterfield from Merino wool (Burberry, 2013) 7 silhouette. The second look featured dropped shoulders and a simple collarless neckline, giving the garment a relaxed, unstructured silhouette. The fabric was felted, brushed and pressed for a clean, understated finish. This contributed in delivering Baileys message for Spring/Summer 2014: soft, easy and understated.

Fabrics
Vinyl Vinyl, also known as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), is a variety of plastic that is derived from ethylene and chlorine. It was first invented in the 1920s to help make everyday products cheaper, more long-lasting and easier to manufacture. Vinyl is extremely strong and durable. It can be manufactured in an assortment of colours, both opaque and transparent. (Jezek, 2006-2013) Vinyl was used in the collection for a jacket which was embellished with crystals. It was the last look that came down the runway and it stole the show. Bailey chose to use vinyl as it was unusual and it cut a clean silhouette.

Vinyl jacket (Burberry, 2013) 8

Embellishment
Embroidery Hand-crafted embellishments, including crystals and gems, were used in the collection. Many garments including skirts, dresses, outerwear and belts featured a scattered hand-stitched gemstone motif. (Hui, 2013) Bailey used embellishments in the collection because they fit perfectly with the theme. He was inspired by an English garden, and he translated bright dew drops on the petals of flowers into embellishments on the fabric of his garments.

Embellished Stone embroidery (Burberry, 2013)

Trench Coat embellished with hand crafted embroidery (Burberry, 2013) 9

The runway (Burberry, 2013)

10

Cotton silk trench coat (Burberry, 2013)

Organza blouse (Burberry, 2013) 11

Metallic blue glass bead pencil skirt with lace T-shirt (Burberry, 2013)

Caban from Raw silk (Burberry, 2013) 12

Suede coat, lace skirt and blouse (Burberry, 2013)

Cashmere coat (Burberry, 2013) 13

Cashmere coat, lace skirt and organza blouse (Burberry, 2013)

The show stopper: vinyl jacket with embellishments (Burberry, 2013) 14

Bibliography
-Baird-Murray, K. (2013, September 16). The Beauty Report: Burberrys Modern English Rose. Retrieved from Vogue: http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/the-beauty-report-burberrys-englishrose/#1. -British Vogue. (2013, September 16). Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2014 Ready to Wear. Retrieved from British Vogue: http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-towear/burberry-prorsum. -Burberry. (2013, September 16). The Burberry Prorsum Womenswear Spring/Summer 2014 Runway. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151887471281425.107374 1841.122792026424&type=3. -Encyclopedia Britannica. (2013). Merino. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www. britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/376088/Merino. -Fashion One. (2013, September 19). Burberry Prorsum Spring Summer 2014. Retrieved from Fashion One: http://www.fashionone.com/news/2013/09/19/burberry-prorsum-spring-summer-2014. -Futons to Go. (2013, February 12). The Story Behind Suede. Retrieved from Futons to Go: http://blog. futonstogo.com/tag/characteristics-of-suede. -Glenn, S. (2013). Lace. Retrieved from Stitch n Save: http://www.stitchnsave.com/Lace.asp -Hui, S. (2013, September 16). Sheer Lace and Rose Petals: Burberry Whips Up Pastel Romance at London Fashion Week. Retrieved from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/09/16/ sheer-lace-and-rose-petal_n_3935828.html. -Jezek, G. (2006-2013). Retrieved from What is Vinyl?: http://www.whatisvinyl.com. -NY Fashion Center. (n.d.). Silk Cotton Fabric Information. Retrieved from NY Fashion Center Fabrics: http://www.nyfashioncenterfabrics.com/silk-cotton-fabric-information.html. -Textile Engineer. (2010, June 20). Silk Fiber/ Characteristics and Uses of Silk Fiber and Fabric in Textiles. Retrieved from Textile Class: http://textileclass.com/silk-fiber-characteristics-uses-of-silkfibre-fabric-in-textile. -Textile Fibre. (2013, July 15). Silk Fibre and Properties of Silk Fibre. Retrieved from Textile Fibre: http://www.textilefibre.com/2013/07/15/silk-fibre-and-properties-of-silk-fibre. -Textile Learner. (n.d.). Characteristics of Silk Fabrics/ Properties of Silk Fabrics. Retrieved from Textile Learner: http://textilelearner.blogspot.ca/2011/08/characteristics-of-silk-fabrics_5368.html. -Watkins, C. (n.d.). What is Organza Fabric? Retrieved from eHow: http://www.ehow.com/ about_5066138_organza-fabric.html#ixzz2kgOtZcuZ. -Wikipedia. (2013, November 9). Cashmere Wool. Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Cashmere_wool. -Wikipedia. (2013, October 25). Christopher Bailey (Fashion Designer). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Bailey_(fashion_designer). 15