Check out who's in the Burberry set

Laura Craik
23 Sep 2009

Vast anticipation — check. Celebrity front row — check. Clothes to set the tills ringing — check.

Like the perfect cocktail, the Burberry show was a heady, intoxicating mix of famous faces and fabulous clothes that brought London Fashion Week's 25-year celebrations to a fitting climax.

A host of celebrities turned out to support Burberry's British homecoming, in what was the brand's first London show in more than a decade.

Victoria Beckham was a vision in waspish black; Gwyneth Paltrow a picture in powder blue and Emma Watson, star of the Burberry advertising campaign, a goddess in gold. Liv Tyler, Freida Pinto, Alexa Chung, Agyness Deyn, Samantha Cameron and Peter Mandelson were also front-row guests.

More pictures: The A-list guests at the Burberry show

Such is Burberry's clout that a phalanx of international magazine editors had also flown in including US Vogue's Anna Wintour, Glenda Bailey of US Harper's Bazaar and US Marie Claire's Joanna Coles. French Vogue was represented by the chic presence of Carine Roitfeld on a rare visit to London.

“Twisted classics” was the theme of the show — quite literally. The classic Burberry trench was reworked in myriad forms, embellished with twists of fabric that swooped and coiled around the back of tight-fitting trench coats.

Shoulders came with knotted epaulettes, bodices were decorated with braids and reef knots skimmed the edges of cuffs and hems.

Ever faithful to his beloved Yorkshire, creative director Christopher Bailey's colours evoked a crisp, spring country morning at that specific point before the sun breaks through the mist, when the landscape is still veiled in a romantic haze. Frosted blue, pale pink and peppermint were offset with warmer tones like honey, buttermilk and peach.

There were more variations on the trenchcoat than even the most ardent fan could ever hope to own. Some were almost like dresses, worn sleeveless and tight to the body in ultra-light fabrics like washed chiffon or layered tulle.

Others were more like armour, in feathered leather or glove suede with the reef knot details adding a tougher twist. Everything was worn belted, either by elasticated canvas or a simple brown leather thong.

Dresses were artfully casual, as with a powder blue gown with a skirt of draped silk gauze dressed down with a simple grey cashmere cardigan. Even the vertiginous knotted leather platforms were styled down with ankle socks: after all, Bailey's Burberry girl embraces naivety far more than she does knowingness.

New for spring 2010 is the Sling bag, a curvy and capacious tote that allowed a rare glimpse of the classic house check that was mostly absent from the show. With its knotted straps and details, its lines echoed the main theme of the collection.

“I wasn't nervous — I was excited,” said Bailey after the show. “I was so happy to be showing in London, and everything I'd hoped for has come to pass. The energy here is amazing — it is absolutely unlike any other city in the world.” And with that, Bailey went off to the FTSE- listed company's Horseferry Road HQ to party like it's 2009.

More pictures: The A-list guests at the Burberry show