After 17 years, Burberry’s chief exec and head designer Christopher Bailey is hanging up his (trench) coat with his final show on Saturday. This much anticipated show will go down in fashion history; Bailey is the man who elevated Burberry from a small UK company to a globally renowned fashion brand. We already know that in the show it’s signature check will be re-imagined in rainbow-hues in support of the LGBTQ+ community which is to be a heavy feature throughout, a huge dedication to “best and brightest organisations supporting LGBTQ+ youth around the world”, he said. “There has never been a more important time to say that in our diversity lies our strength and our creativity”.
To coincide with the reveal of the new tartan, Burberry also announced it had made substantial donations to three LGBT charities: the Albert Kennedy Trust, the Trevor Project and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association(ILGA).
“We are overjoyed with this generous donation and support from Burberry, which will make an incredible difference to preventing LGBT+ youth homelessness in the UK,” said Tim Sigsworth MBE, chief executive of the Albert Kennedy Trust.
“Burberry’s donation will support our ongoing work to provide safe homes and support to young people, grow our youth engagement programme and fund our plans to bring AKT to more cities to reach the most vulnerable people across the country.”
The show kicks off at 5pm on Saturday 17th February so be sure to catch a live stream at burberry.com if you’re not lucky enough to be there yourself. Bailey’s final wave to the star studded audience bids adieu on his last collection and he will hand over the company to his successor, who has not yet been appointed.