The Mark Of A New Era At British Heritage House Burberry

At Burberry, a new chapter is written as newly appointed chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci debuts his Spring/ Summer ’19 collection, “Kingdom”. This multi-dimensional collection is set to define the Italian designer’s tenure at the storied British fashion house.

- Lou Stoppard

When the Italian designer Riccardo Tisci moved to London to take up his position as the chief creative officer of Burberry, he found himself temporarily without a place to stay. Househunting in the UK capital can be labourious, and with just a few months to go before his debut collection for the history-rich British house in September 2018, he “set up home” at Claridge’s in the upscale district of Mayfair. The majestic hotel is a British institution — it even sparked a documentary television show in 2012 called “Inside Claridge’s”, which documented behind-the-scenes antics of its staff. Adored by Queen Victoria, the hotel’s popularity with royalty has led some to call it “the annex to Buckingham Palace”. During his stay, Tisci recalls listening to the chatter of the hotel’s well-heeled guests (women in particular) that drew his attention. “People always say, English people don’t talk about sex, but it’s not true,” he says with a laugh. “Those women were super chic, classic, but one glass of wine later and they were coming out with the funniest, most shocking things. That energy, you only have in Britain. Britishness is really about that surprise, that eccentricity.”

Tisci has since found an apartment, but the Claridge’s stay cemented his love for the dualities and contradictions of British culture — the famous politeness mixed with a rebellious spirit, and the reserved demeanour as in the “keeping of the stiff upper lip” offset by dry wit.