My Monday afternoon at Burberry Makers House, their new pop-up was fantastic. I entered through a serene, industrial renaissance type courtyard, which was immediately contrasted by the bustling atmosphere of the makers workshop showcasing a fantastic range of crafts. The informality of the live installations encouraged me to explore and engage with the makers and their craft. I particularly liked seeing the application process of gold leaf to a table top, which caught my gaze for some time… truly mesmerising!
The exhibition seemed like a great idea for a ‘post-show’ way of communicating with the public following the September Fashion Week. There were many artists and craftsman within the building. Rose de Borman was demonstrating her technique to create hand-painted silk screen prints. She was selling these pieces as part of the exhibition but I was surprised to find out she doesn’t actually design for Burberry and most of her work is for interiors. So it seemed a bit disconnected that she was there in the first place…
“This week long exhibition aims to nod both to the design heritage that is so integral to Burberry’s identity, and to some of Britain’s most exciting creators, and the innovation and inspiration behind their work.”– Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer
I definitely presumed that the craftsmen inside the Maker’s House would have been the craftsman who worked on the London Fashion Week collection…but not at all…they were completely unrelated to Burberry.
Burberry however did create an interesting brand experience about craftsmanship, it would have just been better/more significant if the crafts-people had related to the recent Fashion Week collection.
On my way out I paused again in the courtyard… It’s always wonderful to experience those otherwise inaccessible “London spaces”, especially when they’re filled with wonderful experiences. Thanks Burberry for inviting us in!
