Back in the day, when the fashion industry operated based on a singular vision of how a model should look, Riccardo Tisci was already in a different orbit. His models were from different age groups, diverse nationalities and gender identities. For resort 2021, launched in the midst of a lockdown, Tisci once again deviated from the norm by taking an almost down-to-earth family-like approach to the presentation style. Office staff and friends of Burberry posed as models for the collection outside their homes.
With his innate ability to manipulate prints by blowing them out of proportion and stacking them one on top of the other, Tisci has made the classic Burberry check modern and new all over again. And to make that proposition relatable, the highly stylised looks were paired with no-fuss jacquard sandals and Arthur sneakers for that somewhat devil-may-care attitude. The delicate rose print that sprawls across the chest of a sweatshirt for him, and down a single thigh in a blouse-and-pants combo for her, reminds us of a painting titled ‘Flowers in a Glass Vase’ by 17th-century Dutch painter Rachel Ruysch, while at the same time bringing back fond memories of Tisci’s earlier work in 2013 for Givenchy.