Riccardo Tisci Outlines His Revolutionary Vision For Burberry

It’s a new dawn, a new day, a new story both for me and for Burberry,” Riccardo Tisci tells Vogue’s executive fashion news editor Olivia Singer in an exclusive interview in the February issue. “I want to sustain the Burberry heritage, but I also want to go with the times, with modernity. I want people to come to Burberry and buy a beautiful trench, a beautiful car coat, a beautiful suit, a beautiful evening dress, beautiful trainers. Not just one product; I want to make it more open, more democratic.”

When Burberry announced that Tisci would become its chief creative officer last March, there was a frenzy of speculation about how the Italian designer’s glamorous, neo-gothic aesthetic would translate to the prestigious British house. At Tisci’s first ready-to-wear presentation for the heritage brand, guests entered a dimly-lit warehouse - only for the ceiling to roll away and expose a blue sky. “I wanted people to think, ‘Oh, he’s back with that same darkness.’ But, really, it’s about starting again,” he explains.

Titled Kingdom, the collection nods to eclectic subcultures across Britain, from streetwear kids to city boys, because “that’s what fashion should be: every age, every culture, every lifestyle”, Tisci says. The Puglia native has a strong personal connection to Britain - having lived in London for years - and still feels the country’s essential qualities remain the same after all these years. “For me, Britishness is an attitude, a strength, a confidence and a freedom. The moment I put my feet here, I fell in love. I realised, this is my place.”

It’s a love that’s apparent in every detail of the collection - from the sou-wester hats to handbags covered in lines from Shakespeare plays (“I weep for joy to stand upon my kingdom once again”). Modelling some of Tisci’s exquisite spring/summer 2019 creations in the February issue are British talents from Kate Moss to Lily James, Jess Glynne to Stella Tennant, all captured by Willy Vanderperre.