Beneath a cloud-painted tent at Perks Field in Kensington Palace, Burberry’s spring 2026 coed collection closed out this season’s edition of London Fashion Week. Chief creative officer Daniel Lee, who has designed for the English house since 2022, referenced the style codes of the eccentric city’s music scene, replete with a timely Black Sabbath soundtrack featuring “N.I.B.” and “You Won’t Change Me.” Lee dabbled in yellow and green tartans, chocolate-brown 1960s-inspired suits, shield sunglasses, and a parade of delicately crocheted dresses. Each piece pulled from the aesthetics of any and every musical subculture from the last half-century—with a classic Burberry twist, of course.
“Music is about self-expression, originality, and belonging,” Lee said in a statement from the brand. From festivals and stadiums to open-air concerts, every summer the UK comes to life with style and sound.”
Detailed belt buckles and big duffle bags blended in with yellow and purple plaids, fringe bags, skinny crochet scarves, and glossy apple-green leathers. It was a vision of psychedelic luxury, riffing on the looks of rockers, music superstars, and groupies of the 1960s and 1970s, plus the so-called “indie sleaze” style of the 2010s. Superlong hair and tight jackets worthy of The Ramones sped down the dirt-covered runway. Glimmering silver mini dresses looked exactly like what a modern-day Françoise Hardy might wear.
The show wouldn’t be complete without its own modern-day icons: Elton John and Naomi Campbell sat front row, as well as Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, stars of the cult, campy, and classic show Absolutely Fabulous. Outerwear was presented as the other star feature of the collection. A double-breasted snakeskin number had hulking shoulders and was paired with tight yet slouchy pants. In some cases, the Burberry trench even transcended being worn; it was carried over the arm like an accessory.
Suits were a major player in this season’s collection, but not in the traditional sense. Take, for example, a Canadian tuxedo reinvented with a sun-faded yellow t-shirt and matching bottoms. An extremely shrunken, hot-pink leather bomber was paired with a barely there skinny tie; a glossy jacket got the emo-boy treatment with slow-slung leather pants and long hair for good measure.
All the rock ‘n’ roll throwbacks matched the energy of the venue, a private garden built in the 17th century by George London and Henry Wise, which Burberry last used as a show venue in 2016. Almost a decade later, all those subcultures of the mid 2010s feel relevant—and even trendy—again. (It’s difficult to ignore skinny jeans’ and messy hair’s wider influence on fashion at this moment.) Watching the models close the Burberry show, it felt easier than ever to imagine the brand’s outdoor heritage pieces at the next edition of Glasto.
