Unstoppable British vibe has been the theme of Burberry. Its F/W 2008 campaign is inspired by ‘Control’ (the documentary film on Joy Division) fronted by its leading actor Sam Riley (as Ian Curtis in ‘Control’). Agyness Deyn stepped in for ‘The Beat Girl’ fragrance campaign, carrying the theme inspired by raw rock ‘n’ roll sound of The Fratellis. Its male version, ‘The Beat for Men’, features front men George Craig and Kristian Walker from indie bands Yorkshire ‘One Night Only’ and ‘Last Gang’, as well as Alex Pettyfer (spotted in feature film ‘Stormbreaker’). The over hundred years old luxury house has completed a spectacular revamp, a fashion phenomenon, by injecting young British blood.
With Gucci and Donna Karan under his belt, the current Creative Director Christopher Bailey also worked with Tom Ford in his most glorious era. Uber Art Director Fabien Baron (now Editorial Director at ‘Interview’ Magazine) and British-cool photographer David Sims make a star team. Fabien, with his own establishment Baron & Baron, has been creating many iconic fashion campaigns over the years such as Prada, Viktor & Rolf and CK perfumes. Sims’ photography can be seen in influential publications such as ‘L’uomo Vogue’, ‘i-D’, ‘V’ and ‘Dazed & Confused’, counting Prada, Louis Vuitton, Helmue Lang and Yohji Yamamoto as some of his clients. He also shot Chinese actress Zhou Xun (in Balenciaga) for the cover of ‘Vogue China’ in 2008.
The woody and spicy note of The Beat for Men is created by none other than perfumer Olivier Polge. The son of Jacques Polge (‘Chanel nose’), he also worked with Viktor & Rolf, Giorgio Armani and Dior Homme in the past.
Over hundred-year-old history contrasting with new vibe, set in the land of Great Britain as its backdrop, it is the Burberry formula for perfect chemistry.
Text: Carmen Lee | Translation: dilettante
Photo (Product): Anthony Chan | Product Styling: Anafelle
Update: 23 Jan 2009
