Burberry – Future Archive

For the new year, Riccardo Tisci reached back into history with his Burberry design team for the new Future Archive collection, a limited-edition offering of modern designs with undertones of the classic Burberry aesthetic.  As we all know, Burberry’s reputation has always been embedded in British culture, and it was clearly something that was important for Tisci to consistently weave into this and exclusive collection.  Since establishing the brand in 1856, original founder Thomas Burberry’s work has often been led by philanthropic intentions and British culture and that creative outlook is unsurprisingly at the forefront of Tisci’s new vision.

Unlike seasonal collections, Future Archive is a capsule collection, allowing for exclusive designs that will only be available to buy for a short time.  Consisting of runway sneakers and cashmere scarves to leather goods and quilted coats, the collection is firmly rooted in outerwear: a fundamental part of a Burberry brand that has kept us warm in the winter months for decades.  The collection consists of classic silhouettes designed to be complementary to outdoor living in the British countryside and on picturesque urban landscapes.  Each re-interpreted code is cut to accentuate the human form in a new way to provide everlasting appeal and iconoclasm to your outerwear wardrobe.

Each piece has been designed with careful consideration to Burberry’s iconic demeanour.  Earthy and neutral hues and the classic silhouettes of trench coats from previous generations are both recognised here.  These key features have been fused together and incorporated with a modern 21^st century perspective of the fashion house; a forward-looking perspective of our post-pandemic world.  And with the contradiction in the collection’s name, Future Archive sees some carefully constructed contrasts, perhaps with the intention to push forward towards a new and bigger future, whilst upholding the consumer’s ideas of Burberry’s classic appeal.  The leather goods demonstrate this by combining tradition with modernism, such as the contemporary take on the traditional runway bowling bag featuring the classic Burberry diamond-quilted corduroy panelling.

Diamond-quilting is also recognised in other pieces; with the technique being a feature on Burberry’s trench coats for generations.  The quilting is seen on field jackets, bombers, bucket hats and sneakers.  What has truly epitomised and embodied the Future Archive essence though is Tisci’s decision to take traditional trench designs from past collections to create novel hybrids that look to the future.  Pieces which have the signature cotton-gabardine finish – the classic finish used for the iconic and well-loved Burberry trench coat – are spliced and conjoined to the diamond-quilted jacket to create an innovative yet classic look.

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