In his final move as President and Chief Creative Officer, the Christopher Bailey Burberry era will wind down with an AW18 collection dedicated to LGBTQ. After a 17-year stint, Bailey is exiting the British heritage brand with the most powerful move for diversity we’ve seen from the fashion industry in a long time.
“My final collection here at Burberry is dedicated to — and in support of — some of the best and brightest organisations supporting LGBTQ+ youth around the world,” Bailey said in a press release that was written appropriately in rainbow coloured text. “There has never been a more important time to say that in our diversity lies our strength, and our creativity.”
To mark the move, Bailey has designed an entirely new iteration of Burberry’s iconic check, this time with an ode to LGBTQ in the form of a rainbow colour palette. And it looks pretty damn amazing.
The updated print will appear throughout the AW18 collection showing this Saturday during London Fashion Week as, what the label calls, an “emblem for optimism and inclusiveness”. In keeping with Burberry’s strides towards becoming a more modern fashion house, both culturally and technologically, the rainbow check pieces will be available to buy immediately after the runway show.
A Rainbow Check Cap From Burberry’s AW18 Collection, Burberry
The best bit? To show their commitment to diversity and inclusivity, Burberry has made donations to three charities within the LGBTQ communities: the Albert Kennedy Trust, the Trevor Project and ILGA.
To Burberry — top marks for making a public and definitive move towards diversity. To the rest of the fashion industry — it’s time to up your game.
From: ELLE UK
