Burberry's exhibit features candid portraits of British life. Image credit: Dafydd Jones, Magdalen Commemoration Ball, Oxford, 1988
Fashion house Burberry is exploring the British way of life through the medium of social and documentary photography.
The exhibit “Here We Are,” presented at the brand’s new runway show venue Old Sessions House, features more than 200 prints from about 30 artists. Burberry has recently been teasing its runway shows with public exhibits, allowing more individuals to experience the inspiration behind its collections while also extending the life of its presentations beyond the catwalk.
Inspiration images
Burberry’s president and chief creative officer Christopher Bailey curated the exhibit alongside Lucy Kumara Moore, writer and director of fashion photography bookstore Claire de Rouen.
Alongside the exhibit, running from Sept. 18 to Oct. 1, Burberry is launching a new creative partnership with photographer Alasdair McLellan, who will serve as co-curator of Here We Are.
The display will span three floors at Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell. Originally serving as a courthouse, the building was recently restored and this exhibit will mark the first time since the construction that the space is open to the public.
Among the photos on display will be prints by Shirley Baker and Ken Russell that have not been shown before. Other 20th century works include a shot of Belgravia in 1979 by Karen Knorr and Brian Griffin’s photos of businessmen.
Images in the exhibit focus on Britain's people. Image credit: Martin Parr, O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, Ireland, October 1981
Around 70 of Mr. McLellan’s photos will also be on view, marking the largest display of his work. Among the shots taken in the United Kingdom will be previously unseen images.
The photos within the exhibit will be organized into thematic categories, revealing aspects of British culture. Burberry’s September collection was inspired by the candid, truthful photos that capture life in Britain.
Beyond the exhibit, Mr. McLellan will be documenting elements of the Burberry brand, with the resulting images shared on the label’s Instagram over the next few months.
"When we started thinking about curating 'Here We Are,' I knew I wanted it to celebrate a certain strand of British photography that I have always loved – one which documents the many and varied tribes and clans and classes that make up this island of ours," said Mr. Bailey in a statement.
"It has been an extraordinary privilege to gather together this collection of photographs, that have influenced me so much over the years," he said. "They provide a portrait of British life, in all its nuances, both exceptional and mundane, beautiful and harsh."
Following the September show, the collection will also be on display at Old Sessions House. The space will also serve as the venue for events and activities, with consumers able to dine at a temporary outpost of Burberry's Thomas's Cafe or peruse a selection in a Claire de Rouen bookstore.
Burberry similarly let consumers in on the inspiration behind its February 2017 collection with an exhibition at Makers House.
Burberry’s February 2017 collection was inspired by British sculptor Henry Moore, whose namesake foundation partnered with the fashion house for the temporary exhibit. Burberry’s Makers House exhibit provided fans of Mr. Moore a rare opportunity to view his work and creative process that inspired Mr. Bailey’s collection (see story).