london fashion week

Scenes From Christopher Bailey’s Emotional Final Burberry Show

No one wanted to miss Christopher Bailey’s last Burberry show at London Fashion Week. Everyone from Chelsea Clinton to Alexa Chung to Zendaya sat in the audience and watched as Cara Delevingne marched down the the catwalk in a faux-fur Pride cape, models showed off Burberry’s signature tartan with a rainbow stripe, and Bailey kissed his partner at the very end. The show, which was dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth, was highly emotional.

From the makeup to its dedication, the show celebrated individuality. Wendy Rowe, the brand’s makeup artistic consultant, gave each of the show’s 84 models their own unique beauty look. While some had a bit of contour on the lip, others had highlighted cheekbones.

Everything from sneakers to capes to puffy vests were rainbow, a nod to the show’s dedication to LGBTQ+ youth. In addition to the sartorial support, Burberry announced before the show its plan to make donations to three organizations that support LGBTQ+ communities: the Albert Kennedy Trust, the Trevor Project, and ILGA. While Bailey will leave Burberry at the end of March, the initiatives will extend past his departure.

It was the perfect last show for Bailey, the current chief creative officer and president who has spent the past 17 years at the company. During his tenure, he proved that the brand had more to offer than its signature plaid and trench coats.

“It has been the great privilege of my working life to be at Burberry, working alongside and learning from such an extraordinary group of people over the last 17 years,” he said when he announced his departure. “Burberry encapsulates so much of what is great about Britain. As an organization, it is creative, innovative and outward looking.”

Scenes From Christopher Bailey’s Final Burberry Show