Daniel Lee‘s debut collection at Burberry signaled that he isn’t planning to reinvent the wheel at the brand. His sophomore collection, presented yesterday under the tent at London’s Highbury Fields, confirmed the assumptions about the designer’s direction for the house: clothes and accessories interweaved with Britishness. But is it enough to truly revive the brand? Unfortunately, the spring-summer 2024 failed to deliver a cohesive “look”. The knee-length, low-belted silhouettes with symmetric lapels and minimal epaulettes applied across womenswear and menswear could easily be Stella McCartney. Instead of last season’s blanket coats, Lee presented his take on the trench coat. The boxy shape looked neat and crisp, but it didn’t make my heart beat faster. Lee had moments dedicated to English summer flowers and fruit: cascading swarms of blue strawberries, blown-up meadow-flower prints. The clumsy-looking knitted dresses didn’t do it for me. While Burberry’s new visual communication thrives and the brand drastically increases prices on its goods (have you seen the knitted duck cap for 3000 euros?), Lee’s work – the heart of reinvention – needs more clarity.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.
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