Yesterday, Burberry unveiled the Men’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, dubbed “Universal Passport”, online on its Instagram page. 

A sort of rave party set in a purpose-built set at the Millennium Mills, an abandoned 20th century mill in West Silvertown, Newham, London, that recalls the atmosphere of a disused building site, bringing to mind a scene from a film that I recommend seeing at least once in your life, Sangue – La morte non esiste (Blood – Death does not exist) from 2005 directed by Libero De Rienzo, in his directorial debut.

“I wanted the collection to capture that free spirit of youth and its honest and bold attitude, that sense of experimentation and fluidity. There’s a strong feeling of unity but also individuality: encouraging and uplifting each other to express themselves freely. It’s a very raw energy that is infectious, exciting and full of life. Like an awakening”, wrote Riccardo Tisci, Creative Director of the British fashion house.

With the soundtrack of Simon Posford and Raja Ram’s art project, Shpongle – a real landmark of the electronic and trance scene – the models/ravers, characterized by shaved or colored hair and piercings, parade with a determined gait among small sand dunes, black cars and a group of people dancing, just like an underground rave party.

“This show is about the power and beauty of self-expression as well as escaping to then find ourselves celebrating our creativity together”, added Tisci who, as if it were a statement of intent, deconstructs Burberry’s most iconic item, the trench coat. 

Already in January we understood that the revolution had begun, the raincoat par excellence is redesigned, reinvented, torn to pieces and presented in two different versions: one marked by the absence of the classic collar, a V-neck and a cut that makes it look like a dress, the other is embellished with bangs, a closure on the back. A complete breakdown that draws from the 90s and from masters of the genre such as Rei Kawakubo and Martin Margiela.

A sleeveless trench coat that becomes a vest, different lengths, the cape moved to the front, a whole series of tricks that represent in toto the manifesto of Riccardo Tisci, whose project takes decisive shape and seems to take leave from those aesthetic canons typical of the history of the maison writing a new chapter ultra contemporary and above all free. 

A collection as a whole that projects Burberry into a new dimension, the one imagined by Tisci, full of contamination and inspiration that have little to do with tradition but that, correctly point to the evolution.

Below you can take a look at the presentation of Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection.