Modern Heritage At Burberry’s London Fashion Week A/W 2025 Show

All eyes were on Burberry at last night’s Autumn Winter 2025 catwalk presentation, which closed London Fashion Week at London’s Tate Britain.

The show was quintessentially British, slick and luxurious, and it evoked a sense of refined decadence and eccentricity. This was seen right across London Fashion Week’s schedule this season. Classic elegance and traditional materials such as leather and tweed also featured in many shows, including at Paul Costelloe and Ahkeke London, whose collection was inspired by a colorful winter garden. Strong prints and patterns were another common denominator across presentations. INF, for example, created a series of geometric patterns in a show inspired by the myths, legends, shape and character of the raven. And there was strong outerwear and imposing silhouettes. As Hector Maclean, BAstArd Aristocrat’s designer told me “I’m really enjoying the massive silhouette cuts and drapes we’re seeing more of within our realm. It’s this idea of romance returning to fashion,” he said.

Since the introduction of Joshua Shulman as CEO in July 2024, the brand has been in the spotlight, and according to fashiondive.com writing in January 2025, it’s good news for Burberry, as stock rises after Q3 sales beat expectations. This was attributed to a robust holiday season in the Americas, which helped the company narrow its losses as it works to implement a strategic turnaround plan.

Burberry’s A/W 2025 Runway Show

As A-listers lined the front row, a star-studded model cast walked down a deep Prussian blue runway framed by huge curtains at the Tate Modern, a context that provided a strong narrative. Guests arrived to a seating area that was draped in frescoes reminiscent of those found in old British country houses. As explained in the press release, this lent the illusion of dust sheets in a packed-up manor house. The show also marked a one-year partnership with the gallery, supporting vital conservation work at Tate Britain’s world-leading Painting Conservation Studios.

The cast included actors from iconic British films and television series, such as Downton Abbey and The Crown. Richard E. Grant, Elizabeth McGovern, Lesley Manville, Jessica Madsen, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Jason Isaacs and Guy Remmers, as well as models such as Naomi Campbell, Lila Moss, Erin O’Connor, walked down the catwalk, creating a stately mood, like a piece of theatre. As Lee explained in the show notes, “our cast of actors just chimed with the bohemian irreverence. And, of course, they know how to make clothes come alive.”

Fabrics and textures were sumptuous and included wool, leather and velvet. There were some beautiful dresses made of shredded chine damask, and velvet brocade jackets that replicated flocked wallpaper in “a deliberate tension and interplay between indoor furnishing fabrics”, the press release explained. An equestrian silhouette was also presented, with tight jodhpur trousers worn with cropped jackets and long leather boots.

As always, Burberry’s outerwear was beautiful and drew on its heritage. The brand was founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856 and focused on outdoor clothing. Trench coats—there was a classic trench in embossed leather—and oversized classic tailored coats, inspired by Savile Row, added the finishing touch to many outfits and were styled in interesting ways. One model, for instance, wore a coat over her long hair as if she’d thrown it on just before walking the runway, adding realism to the clothes.

Accessories were also very strong, including many bags such as a new saddle bag with a curved top handle featuring hardware inspired by jewelry and bridle reins, as well as crystal-embellished star necklaces and brooches. Footwear included leather boots and pointed-toe pumps reminiscent of 18th-century court shoes. There were also lace-up and monk strap Loch brogues “set on sturdy rubber soles and embellished with studs” and estate slippers “in quilted velvet and tartan-inspired check with penny loafer details”.

Colors were mostly muted and inspired by the shades of brown and green one finds in the British countryside, but there were some striking red, blue, green and ochre outfits and some white accents. As Daniel Lee explained: “There are colors in the collection, like, Tapestry brown and Deer taupe but also shades of punky red and yellow, Alder and Maze greens, which were inspired by long walks in the Yorkshire Dales.”

Daniel Lee’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection for Burberry was beautifully executed. It was creative and evocative, modernizing its heritage to balance the past with the future. Reassuringly British, it offers wearable luxury clothes and accessories ideal for the great outdoors, whatever the weather.