Burberry just closed out London Fashion Week on a high note with its S/S 27 collection. Creative Director Daniel Lee returned to the fundamental, instinctive essence of the British house. “[It’s] Burberry at its most soulful,” Lee said in the press release. Rather than going back to the basics and repeating the archive, he focused on instinct, authenticity, and humanity.
That simple and foundational approach first showed in the set design. At Chelsea College of Arts, where Burberry has previously presented three collections, the show placed guests on irregularly arranged wooden benches decorated with the house’s signature checks. The setting stood out against a stark white backdrop, which also featured a check-printed wooden door that models walked through. “The set design is deliberately exposing,” Burberry shares in the press release. “Against this restraint, these clothes read as human rather than perfect—soulful and tactile.”
As for the collection, it focused on the brand’s classic utility but with a lighter feel. Burberry’s staple trench coats remained central, but instead of appearing in their traditional silhouettes, they were reimagined with ruffles, shorter hems, and even embellishments. As Burberry often does for spring, the collection explored different types of outerwear through more relaxed yet equally polished designs. Ruching, collarless leather, and sheer pieces created ease, while button-up shirts and knitwear added everyday wearability.
The color palette also contributed to this soft, youthful mood. Fresh tones were mixed with distinctly British patterns. Notably, the house’s signature check appeared only sparingly in the new collection. Instead, a series of prints such as smiley faces, stripes, and gingham, designed in collaboration with the legendary textile designer Celia Birtwell, was on display. Keep reading to learn more about why the Burberry S/S 27 collection was a great way to cap London Fashion Week and the major trend the brand is declaring fashion people will wear in the year ahead.
Celebrity Attendees
Burberry is known to close out London Fashion Week with a long list of stylish celebrity attendees. This year, the A-listers and friends of the British luxury fashion brand who occupied the front-row seats included Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Lila Moss, Nara Smith, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rachel Brosnahan, and Sienna Spiro. For the occasion, they wore sophisticated ensembles, many featuring edgy, head-to-toe leather looks, such as leather bomber jackets paired with trousers, leather button-down shirts matched with midi skirts, and leather trench coats styled as dresses and paired with open-toe heeled sandals. Male celebrities were equally prominent, with figures such as Jonathan Bailey, Romeo Beckham, and Jack Draper in attendance.
WHO: Lila Moss
WHO: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
WHO: Jonathan Bailey
WHO: Sienna Spiro
WHO: Rachel Brosnahan
WHO: Nara Smith
WHO: Jodie Turner-Smith
Ornate Embellishments
If you’ve been following the spring/summer 2027 runway shows, you might have noticed a through line: the distinctive use of rich textures, especially raised motifs. So far, many designers have explored the interplay among structured form, artisanal handcraft, and vivid color, bringing tactile depth to classic silhouettes. Similar to Tory Burch’s S/S 27 collection, Burberry integrated dimensional florals and intricate beaded embellishments across a wide range of silhouettes. The adornments appeared almost like wearable jewelry, strategically layered atop leather trench coats, short-sleeved button-down shirts, midi column dresses, and pencil skirts. Classic sequins and paillettes also adorned skirts and pumps. Most notably, the color combinations of the embellishments and the garments were unexpected but elegant. Daniel Lee paired bold hues like blue with orange, dark green with lime green, and yellow with pink.
The Birtwell Effect
To mark Burberry’s 170th anniversary, Lee wanted to collaborate with Birtwell, whose prints epitomize the ’60s and ’70s. Rather than drawing from her archive, Birtwell created an entirely new set of graphics. From quirky smiley faces scattered across knitwear and shoes to floral prints rendered with beautiful 3D embellishments on utilitarian outerwear and midi dresses, her patterns helped define the collection’s story and color palette. But that’s not all. Burberry’s House Check resolved into gingham and even stripes. “It’s a creative collaboration rooted in experimentation,” Burberry says in the press release. It’s also a partnership that weaves together the label’s classic codes with Birtwell’s sense of joy.
Controversially Cool Styling
There are many fashion pairings that have long divided opinion. One of them is socks worn with heels. Some say the look evokes a school uniform, while others feel it’s reminiscent of the retro punk era from the ’80s. But to Burberry, the look feels surprisingly modern. On the runway, the Somerset pumps, some embellished with sequins and 3D florals, were styled with socks for a playful, youthful mood. Calf-length ribbed socks in beige or black softened the tailored separates, adding subtle dimension and contrast to the pared-back ensembles.
Fresh Tones
As the brand put it, the collection itself felt “more character-driven than ever.” This was emphasized through fresh colorways. While neutral hues like brown, white, gray, black, and beige made up most of the collection, data-driven Instagram account Tagwalk reported that over 38% featured vibrant colors, including shades like pastel orange, pink, yellow, apple green, and cobalt. Amid the earth tones, these bright hues felt like a distinct departure from Burberry’s established aesthetic but still remained true to the brand’s identity.
