From "Burberry" to "McQueen".. Brands that Succeeded and Others that Struggled with Their Heritage

- How does a fashion house with a history of 170 years maintain its contemporary presence? The answer may lie in distinguishing between building on heritage and relying on nostalgia for the past.

In the Burberry show that concluded the London Fashion Week schedule, the oldest luxury fashion house in Britain, led by its creative director Daniel Lee, presented a vision that confirms that heritage can be a starting point for renewal, not just a revival of the past. The new collection was the result of a collaboration with British textile designer Celia Birtwell, one of the most prominent names associated with bold and vibrant textile designs in the 1960s.

Her influence was evident in the floral patterns, which combined bright yellow mimosa flowers and intertwining branches, adding vibrancy to the white tent that hosted the show in front of Chelsea College of Arts. Daniel Lee adopted loose and flowing cuts, along with washed silk and cotton, to give the pieces a light, contemporary, and easy-to-wear character.

At the same time, the collection maintained the practical aspect rooted in the brand's identity, through layered looks designed to provide the necessary flexibility for the spring season and its fluctuations, including the rain showers that characterize April's atmosphere. Here, the brand did not treat its past as an archive to be retrieved, but as material that can be reinterpreted in a modern language.

Influenced by Birtwell's vision, Burberry's famous pattern, which sometimes took on a sharp and rigid character, appeared softer and approached the calm look of gingham checks. In contrast, the designer added a more playful and unconventional touch through a collection of looks featuring smiling faces in bold colors, drawn from her personal archive.

In the backstage after the show, Daniel Lee talked about the emotional aspect that drives consumer choices in the fashion world, explaining that acquiring a piece is not always related to the need for it, but rather the desire to own it. A skirt adorned with mimosa flowers is not necessarily a basic piece, but the desire to acquire it may arise from the feeling it provides.

He stated that a luxury piece is not a necessary product, but is tied to emotion, clarifying that his goal this season was to present clothes that appear used and imperfect. This was particularly reflected in the designs of the classic trench coat, which appeared in softer versions, with gathered details and intentional puffiness and wrinkles.

In the same context, Burberry seems more explicit in its relationship with its history, through campaigns that revive the atmosphere of the British countryside, and a mini-exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London celebrating the famous trench coat. At the same time, Daniel Lee and his team add touches of fun to the practical pieces that form the foundation of the brand's identity.

This approach seems to be reflected in the brand's performance, as retail sales increased by 5%, a percentage that gains significance in light of the challenges facing the luxury goods sector. Young designers in brands, some of which are over a hundred years old, do not limit this equation to the British brand, as a group of young designers today takes on the responsibility of redefining the identity of historic fashion houses, in an attempt to combine their heritage with the demands of the present.

Daniel Lee, 40 years old, belongs to a generation of designers who have taken on the responsibility of revitalizing historic fashion houses, in an attempt to attract a new generation of shoppers. The French-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy, 42 years old, serves as an example of this at the French house of Chanel, where he is redefining the brand's identity in a contemporary and vibrant style.

Irishman Jonathan Anderson, 41, works at the French house "Dior" to balance the revival of elements from the house's history with modern designs. This equation is also adopted by American Michael Rider, 45, at the French label "Celine", while attention turns to British designer Grace Wales Bonner, 35, and what she will present in the world of men's fashion at the French house "Hermès" in her first collection for the house next year.

When heritage becomes a burden, however, this equation does not guarantee ongoing success; revitalizing a long-standing heritage is not an easy task, and a strong connection to the past can shift from a source of strength to a hindrance in building a contemporary identity. The problem arises when fashion houses and their designers fail to find a path that transcends the era in which the brand reached its peak presence.

This may explain the decline in resonance of some brands strongly associated with the nostalgia of the 1990s, such as British "Alexander McQueen" and American "Calvin Klein", coinciding with a drop in their revenues. It is difficult to separate "McQueen" from the legacy of its founder Alexander McQueen and his tragic death, making the balance between honoring this chapter of fashion history and pushing the house towards the future a complex task.

Its move from Paris to London this season has sparked interest, but the question remains whether the collection has moved beyond the revival of nostalgia. As for "Calvin Klein", it still struggles to maintain a clear connection to its heritage and identity.

The house has established a kind of simplicity that is now embraced by other names with more pronounced styles, while the brand's identity has gradually been reduced to a visual reference evoking the image of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.