Emma Watson is starring in Burberry’s spring 2010 ad campaign and she is joined by her brother Alex.  Emma is all grown up, and is a long way from Harry Potter.  Burberry’s creative director Christopher Bailey was going for a ‘cool’ vibe in this campaign, and I would say, ‘mission accomplished’! 

Ms. Watson is a combination of brains and beauty, the 19 year old attends Brown University when she is away from her day jobs.  Famed fashion photographer Mario Testino was called upon to bring Bailey’s vision to fruition.  Burberry continues to be relevant in the 21st century because of it’s willingness to adapt with the changing the times.  The actress is an astute choice in keeping on that path to the future; she is fast becoming a young style icon in her own right.

Matthew Williamson Spring 2010

London Fashion Week is enjoying a major resurgence.  British designers are returning to London to show their collections again; they are breaking the pattern of showing in New York, Milan or Paris.  The city’s fashion week revival is long overdue because of its wealth of emerging and innovative talent.  Burberry Prorsum, Matthew Williamson, Pringle of Scotland, Jonathan Saunders and Antonio Berardi all returned for spring 2010, and will make an encore appearance for fall 2010.  Fashion Week is from February 19 – 24, 2010 and the excitement can hardly be contained.  “The British Fashion Council is delighted that all five have confirmed they will show in London this February and we look forward to working with them to attract leading media and buyers to London Fashion Week.”  The excitement is not limited to the UK, the fashion industry as a whole rejoices.

London Life [Vogue UK]

Supermodel Claudia Schiffer attended the British Fashion Awards in a Peter Pilotto design.  She speaks glowingly about new British designers, and their wealth of talent.  When asked about her rumored fashion line, the model explained she was not ready to announce anything at this time.  She did, however, say that any fashion line would have her fashion sensibilities; striking the right balance between overdone and underdone before leaving the house.  Her personal style was on display in her vintage jewelry selection for the evening.  The big winner of the night was the creative head at Burberry, Christopher Bailey, who won designer of the year.  The British Fashion Awards is a good start for Ms. Schiffer to socialize with her soon-to-be colleagues.

Burberry wants to do for shoes and bags what it’s done for the trench.  That is a good thing for the company’s bottom-line as well as its customers in terms of variety.  During these challenging financial times, leather goods have been the savior of many fashion houses.  “There is a huge momentum in this sector (of leather goods),” says Bailey.  Their new emphasis is especially important now that Burberry has reported a profit loss of over $90 million dollars during the first half of the year.  Accessories currently make up a third of the company’s revenues; shoes, bags and belts will be taking on a much larger role.  The shift is among other changes that were recently announced, namely the promotion of Christopher Bailey from creative director to chief creative officer.  It looks like Burberry is making all the right moves to maintain the 153 year old house’s relevance in the 21st century. 

Burberry to expand in shoes and handbags [Reuters]

Burberry Profits Slide 24 Percent [WWD]

Burberry revealed a collection of yummy trenches for spring 2010.  They were chic, short and feminine.  The lavendar trench with the ruching in the shoulders and arms was to die for.  The proportions of the coats are visually stimulating; there’s so much to look at, without being fussy or overdone.  The nude colored trench with ruching throughout was so lovely that it could be worn as a belted mini dress.  Then there was the metallic trench with the slightly scalloped edges and pockets.  The silver trench with the ruching on the sides was so demure and sweet, with a side of sexy.  These jackets are not your mother’s trenches, and that may be a good thing.  We all know that Burberry will never fully depart from the plaid for which this house is famous, but it’s great to see a willingness to embrace change.  We’re only days into fall, but I’m already counting the days to spring, and um, rain?

Today we bring you Christopher Bailey, the creative director of Burberry.  We are treated to an interview with the designer giving us insight into his creative process.  When you learn more about a designer and his thought process with a collection, you walk away with a better understanding of the clothes.  That should be the overall goal.  The consumer is more likely to frequent a designer who she understands, and even more important, one she feels understands her.  ”There’s  something very effortless about the Burberry girl”, she is relaxed and elegant said Bailey.  He is very gracious and gives a lot of credit to his design team.  Take a look at the video to hear more about the Burberry girl directly from Christopher Bailey.