The collection, inspired by Virginia Woolf’s gender-bending novel titled “Orlando” (1928), showed a total of 83 men’s and women’s looks comprising 250 pieces. The entire collection was immediately available for purchase as soon as the show finished.

“I was trying to put Wifi into an old house that we owned from the 1600s. But because the walls were so thick, the Wifi wasn’t getting through. It got me thinking about all the lives over 500 years that our house had seen and it reminded me of the book ‘Orlando. So I read it again and it just felt like what I was trying to articulate,” says Burberry chief creative and chief executive officer Christopher Bailey in an interview after the show. 

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The collection, nonetheless, paid tribute to Burberry’s British roots with versatility and modernity in mind – think classic trench with puff Victorian sleeves rendered in leopard prints, unisex sweatshirt with leather striped studs, and printed pyjama sets matched with lace slips.

Asian celebrities including Chinese actress-filmmaker Vicki Zhao, Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon, pop idol Kris Wu as well as Hong Kong’s own style icon Wyman Wong attended the presentation in London. 

The show moved to a new venue called the Makers House in the heart of London’s bustling Soho neighbourhood. In collaboration with The New Craftsmen, Burberry is hosting an exhibition and a series of activities to celebrate the craftsmanship and inspiration behind the collection. Admission is free until September 27.

Watch the show here: