Burberry Brings British Chic Back to 57th Street With a Modernized Flagship
After 16 months of renovation work, Burberry has reopened its Manhattan flagship on 57th Street, showcasing collaborations with British artists, bespoke design touches and nods to London architecture.
The three-level, 33,000-square-foot space offers Burberry’s modern take on classic British luxury and an opportunity to explore the brand’s storied heritage.
More from WWD
Burberry Welcomes Zhang Jingyi as Latest Global Brand Ambassador
EXCLUSIVE: Missoni Parts Ways with Creative Director Filippo Grazioli
“The store transports customers to the heart of the Burberry brand, encouraging visitors to explore our heritage as an outerwear pioneer with a special archival exhibit and window display,” said Laura Dubin-Wander, president of Burberry for the Americas, in a statement. “The space also highlights our signature styles in a modern setting that brings the outdoors in.”
The flagship, located at 9 East 57th Street, has a very open, airy feeling and is merchandised sparingly so that each style stands out. Throughout, there’s beige British limestone flooring and fixturing, long stretches of bright spotlights, and asymmetric area rugs, for a consistent, modern ambience, top to bottom. There’s also an elegant staircase with a black steel railing, reminiscent of London railings, and the original steel columns are maintained, providing interesting architectural detail. Pre-renovation, the flagship was more sectional, with less elbow room.
The oversize, 8-foot-tall windows preview styles from the winter 2024 outerwear collection, which offers new takes on trenchcoats, duffle coats and parkas, as well as full-length kilts, shearling jackets and Savile Row-inspired tailoring. There are also views of the latest outerwear campaign titled “It’s Always Burberry Weather,” and vintage ads from the Burberry archives. Just behind are hand-tufted textile installations by artist Tom Atton Moore, representing the green mounds of the British Isles.
In the center of the first floor, there’s an exhibit of gabardine clothes worn by the British-Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Burberry trenchcoats from World War I and World War II. They’re all replicas, but there are QR codes to learn about the originals, showing off Burberry’s roots, which go back to 1856.
The first floor displays trenchcoats, bags, backpacks, scarves that can be monogrammed, sunglasses, and two exclusive coats just for the flagship, which feature New York on the lining.
On the second level, women’s merchandise is on display, including outerwear, dresses, sportswear, footwear, leather boots, rain boots and sneakers.
And the third level carries men’s goods, including totes, weekenders, small leather accessories, outerwear, footwear, sportswear and Savile Row-inspired suiting.
In another nod to the brand’s heritage, seating areas are furnished with Chesterfield sofas, and displays feature iconic Burberry designs. For another British touch, Burberry has tea sets and tableware designed by David Mellor and his son, Corin, featuring overtones of classic 18th-century English cutlery.
Exclusive to the flagship is a new made-to-order service for the Castleford trench, available in supple leather or suede, and in color options inspired by British landscapes. The service launches Oct. 16.
The modernized Burberry flagship (which opened Saturday and put some finishing touches in on Monday) provides a much-needed new experience for the brand, which has been impacted by the general slowdown in the luxury sector. In July, the London-based company took the drastic action of ousting its chief executive officer Jonathan Akeroyd and replacing him with U.S. retail veteran Josh Schulman, and warned of an operating loss in the first half. Also, Burberry reported a 22 percent decline in retail revenue to 458 million pounds in its first quarter. Sales were down 20 percent at constant exchange rates. The modernized flagship could help lift to Burberry’s business.
As of the East 57th Street’s reopening, Burberry has more than 50 stores in the U.S. While the site was renovated, Burberry operated a temporary location at 693 Fifth Avenue.
Launch Gallery: Inside the Burberry Flagship Reopening in New York
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.