From "Burberry" to "McQueen".. Brands That Succeeded and Others That Struggled with Their Heritage

- How does a fashion house with a history of 170 years maintain its contemporary presence? The answer may lie in distinguishing between building on heritage and relying on nostalgia for the past.

In the Burberry show that concluded the London Fashion Week schedule, the oldest luxury fashion house in Britain, led by its creative director Daniel Lee, presented a vision that confirms that heritage can be a starting point for renewal, not just a revival of the past. The new collection was the result of a collaboration with British textile designer Celia Birtwell, one of the most prominent names associated with bold and vibrant textile designs from the 1960s.

Her influence was evident in the floral patterns, which combined bright yellow mimosa flowers and intertwined branches, adding vitality to the white tent that hosted the show in front of Chelsea College of Arts. Daniel Lee adopted loose and flowing cuts, along with washed silk and cotton, to give the pieces a light, contemporary, and easy-to-wear character.

At the same time, the collection maintained the practical aspect rooted in the brand's identity, through layered looks designed to provide the necessary flexibility for the spring season and its fluctuations, including the rain showers that characterize April. Here, the brand did not treat its past as an archive to be revived, but as material that can be reinterpreted in a modern language.

Influenced by Birtwell's vision, the famous Burberry check, which sometimes took on a sharp and rigid character, appeared softer, resembling the calm gingham squares. In contrast, the designer added a more playful and unconventional touch through a collection of looks featuring smiling faces in bold colors, drawn from her own archive.

Backstage after the show, Daniel Lee spoke about the emotional aspect that drives consumer choices in the fashion world, explaining that acquiring a piece is not always related to the need for it, but rather the desire to own it. A skirt adorned with mimosa flowers is not necessarily a staple piece, but the desire to own it may arise from the feeling it evokes.

He stated that a luxury piece is not a necessary product, but is tied to emotion, explaining that his goal this season was to present clothing that looks used and imperfect. This was particularly reflected in the designs of the classic trench coat, which appeared in softer versions, with gathered details and deliberate creases.

In this context, Burberry seems clearer in its relationship with its history, through campaigns that evoke the atmosphere of the British countryside, and a mini-exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London celebrating the famous trench coat. At the same time, Daniel Lee and his team add touches of fun to the practical pieces that form the foundation of the house's identity.

This approach appears to be reflecting positively on the brand's performance, as retail sales rose by 5%, a significant figure given the challenges facing the luxury goods sector. Young designers in brands some of which are over a hundred years old, and this equation is not limited to the British brand, as a group of young designers today are responsible for reinterpreting the identity of historic fashion houses, in an attempt to combine their heritage with the demands of the present.

Daniel Lee, 40 years old, belongs to a generation of designers who have taken on the responsibility of revitalizing historic fashion houses, in an attempt to attract a new generation of shoppers. The French-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy, 42 years old, exemplifies this at the French house "Chanel", where he reinterprets the house's identity in a contemporary and vibrant style.

Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, 41 years old, at the French house "Dior" works to balance the revival of elements from the house's history with modern designs. This equation is also adopted by American designer Michael Rider, 45 years old, at the French brand "Celine", while all eyes are on British designer Grace Wales Bonner, 35 years old, and what she will present in the world of men's fashion at the French house "Hermès" in her first collection for the house next year.

When heritage becomes a burden However, this equation does not guarantee continued success; revitalizing a long-standing heritage is not an easy task, and a strong connection to the past can shift from a source of strength to a barrier against building a contemporary identity. The problem arises when fashion houses and their designers fail to find a path that transcends the era in which the brand reached its peak presence.

This may explain the decline in the resonance of some brands strongly associated with the nostalgia of the 1990s, such as British "Alexander McQueen" and American "Calvin Klein", coinciding with a decline in their revenues. It is difficult to separate "McQueen" from the legacy of its founder Alexander McQueen and his tragic death, making the balance between honoring this chapter of fashion history and pushing the house towards the future a complex task.

Its move from Paris to London this season sparked interest, but the question remains whether the collection has moved beyond the revival of nostalgia for the past. As for "Calvin Klein", it still struggles to maintain a clear connection to its heritage and identity.

The house has established a kind of simplicity that other names today adopt with more presence, while the brand's identity has gradually been reduced to a visual reference evoking the image of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.