24 February 2026 |
Daniel Lee has left festival life for city slickness.
When you’re the closing exclamation point of London fashion week, how do you end on a high note? Well, if you’re Burberry you stage an evening show that offers a spectacular view of one of the most striking backdrops in the city: Tower Bridge. And call it foreshadowing because what greeted guests upon entry into the venue? A version of the same structure, albeit shrunk down as runway scenery. Trimmed with lights and accented by resin “puddles” of water that looked so strikingly real it had guests checking the hems of their pants, creative director Daneil Lee set a different tone this season. Gone were the tents that recalled Glastonbury and hello to a moodier, urban slickness that felt true to city life.
February is always an interesting time for London fashion week. The BAFTAs are traditionally scheduled at the same time and as such, the star power tends to be turned up several notches. In the case of Burberry, it was an impressive front row that included Gen Z favorites like Myha’la, Lila Moss, Pink Pantheress, and Olivia Dean alongside heavy hitters including Kate Moss, Stella Skarsgård, Alexa Chung, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Barry Keoghan, and Jodie Turner-Smith. And that’s just scratching the surface of the front row. Equally as impactful was the soundtrack courtesy of FKA twigs which featured a thumping bass line that had everyone vibrating in their seats.
Per Lee, the inspiration for the fall 2026 collection was “going out in a particularly London way.” As the lights twinkled on the miniature Tower Bridge in the middle of the runway, that translated into an opening look that is quintessentially Burberry: a trench trimmed in ruffles at the lapels for flair. That silhouette would be a recurring motif throughout the show. From there it transitioned into a series of sleek tailored coats before segueing into sharp leather separates. Designed for urban settings, the pieces reflect the sense of urgency one has in a big city — life is go, go, go and everyone has a place to be. For Lee the idea is taking classics and heritage and letting this youthful vigor lend a spark of energy, which could be seen in every brisk step the models took.
With an all-star cast that included Romeo Beckham and Rosie Huntington-Whitley, Lee made clear distinctions in his approach to menswear versus womenswear without sacrificing cohesiveness. On the men’s side you saw leather bombers, hoodies, and raincoats juxtaposed against more formal elements like a tuxedo or a silk shirt. For women a similar idea applied with trenches turning into toppers for silky dresses. Mixed in with shearling or iridescent leather, it reflected the rainy evening glow both inside and outside the venue. As guests stepped out to a light drizzle, it felt like a fitting end to five days in London.
