Burberry Prorsum Fall 2012 Review
Photo: Imaxtree
Looks from the Burberry Prorsum Fall 2012 runway.
SHOW: Burberry Prorsum (See the full collection.)
THEME: Town and Field
HAIR: Neil Moodie
MAKEUP: Wendy Rowe using Burberry Beauty
ACCESSORIES: Ruched bow belts, gray tweed peak caps, studded gloves, striped and duck-handled umbrellas, zip-around clutches with animal ornaments, Burberry Field lace-up ankle boots (suede, brogue, and moccasin-inspired), and the domed Burberry Orchard Bag and duffel-style Burberry Barrel Bag
FRONT ROW: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Eddie Redmayne, Kate Bosworth, Will.i.am, Alexa Chung, War Horse star Jeremy Irvine, Clémence Poésy, Mario Testino, Alison Mosshart
OVERALL TAKEAWAY: Country-strong collection mixing equestrian staples with sumptuous velvets, prominent peplums, and modern details.
When it rains, it pours. And when it rains at Burberry Prorsum—see a finale capped with the sound of rumbling storm clouds, water cascading over the glass roof, and a flurry of clear plastic confetti—it means you're in for a parade of colorful striped umbrellas with duck handles. And though that ravishing raingear was all anyone could talk about (it is London, after all), there was plenty to lust after on the clothes front as well.
In contrast to Spring 2012's tribal-influenced beads, weaves, and raffia extravaganza, Fall 2012 marked chief creative officer Christopher Bailey's return to the British heritage for which the brand is known. Designed for a heroine who bounces from the countryside to the city and back again, the collection saw outdoorsy and equestrian notes (owl-print tops, an ornamental fox head detail on a belt, corduroy collars, riding skirts, field jackets, military-style buttons) offset with modern flourishes such as dainty bow-tied belts, colorful brush-stone embroidery on collars, and a highly covetable pair of studded gloves.
Structure and proportion were key here, with tinselly tiered dresses and skirts (coming soon to a magazine cover near you), sculptural white dress shirts puffing out the back, cropped bombers, heavy bellow pockets, and peplums galore on display. Swingy skirts and tops in thick, bold college stripes charmed, as did a series of floral-print belted dresses with bow details at the shoulder.
And though we're always a sucker for a good wool coat or a muted houndstooth check, the showstopper of the day was Cara Delevingne's sumptuous plum quilted velvet dress coat for the finale. And her striped umbrella, of course.
