Burberry draws galaxy of stars as it unveils new collection at London Fashion Week

Burberry draws all-stars at London Fashion Week

LONDON — Burberry and star designer Christopher Bailey provided the glittering climax to London Fashion Week, drawing a galaxy of stars to the unveiling of its fall and winter collection.

American Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour jetted in, wearing a burgundy Chanel dress as she sipped champagne in the front row, and the Hollywood contingent included the actresses Kate Hudson, in a sparkling green dress, and Claire Danes, understated in a cream-colored outfit.

A number of top models filled out the front row Tuesday, including ’60s star Twiggy, Britain’s Erin O’Connor, Russian transplant Natalia Vodianova, and a host of others top stars.

The attraction that brought people out despite driving rain and snow was a first look at designer Bailey’s vision for autumn and winter, which turned out to be a stunning blend of the brand’s heritage — the trench coats, the military jackets — with sexy, tight skirts and dresses.

An ebullient Bailey told the Associated Press after the show that he had been inspired by a visit to the company’s archives and a sketch of an aviator jacket he found there.

“I wanted it to be about our heritage,” he said. “I took flying jackets and aviation jackets and ran them through from peacoats to trenchcoats. I wanted it very tight and a celebration of coats.”

Bailey has reinvigorated Burberry, a venerable British brand that enjoyed a reputation for quality but languished for some time without fresh ideas.

High boots were in vogue — most went well above the knee — and jacket sleeves often contained buckles and belts, a play on the military theme. There were big leather jackets with oversized lapels and collars — some even had belts on the collars — and a breathtaking white furry overcoat that took its styling cues from the Afghan coats popular five decades ago.

A few of the olive green jackets seemed like imaginative reinventions of the World War II jacket worn by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“I thought it was fantastic,” said Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue. “I thought the combination of the big, oversized jackets with the kind of sexy little rouched velvet and chiffon was a lovely mixture, kind of Burberry outerwear with sex appeal that you’d want to lighten up.”

Many of the skirts were mid-length, designed to cover the tops of the sky-high boots. The color palette shifted from green to blue midway through the show as Bailey showed an elegant collection of blue overcoats, some with big gold buttons.

Next came seductive evening dresses, still topped with military-style jackets. A few purely feminine outfits consisted of lacy blouses in blue and purple.

“There were lots of coats, that’s the message,” said Tamsin Blanchard, style director for The Telegraph Magazine.

She said, however, the shortish coats might not be sufficient in midwinter: “They’re not going to keep your bum warm.”

As part of Burberry’s marketing plan, the show was streamed live in 3-D to special venues in New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Paris and Tokyo. Also, Internet customers could view the show online and make instant purchases of items they wanted, Burberry executives said.

“The world is moving quickly,” said Bailey, explaining Burberry’s eager embrace of new technology. “Literally during the show you can click to buy.”

That raises a whole new issue: Some fashion-frenzied fans might want to keep their credit cards well out of reach while perched in front of their computers watching the show.

Fashion week wraps up Wednesday with a series of menswear shoes from Savile Row designers added into the mix.

Associated Press writer Eleanor Stephens contributed to this report.