There was an unlikely showstopper at the Burberry SS23 show
As London Fashion Week started to feel the effects of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a handful of planned shows and events were pulled from the calendar and moved to a more fitting time. For iconic British brand Burberry, the show wouldn’t come until the Monday after the fashion madness was over.
And when it did, celebs descended upon an industrial warehouse in south London to see Riccardo Tisci’s final show at the helm of the brand. With the likes of Bella Hadid, Naomi Campbell and Irina Shawk all part of the model roster, what was ostensibly enticing about the show was its spotlighting of an unlikely subculture – goths. Beforehand, Burberry shared a short film and, what seemed to be, teasers of what we could expect. There were young goths, caked in makeup, draped in black, hair spiked-up as high as it could go without bending in on itself. And as celebrating British subcultures has been quite the theme of this season’s LFW, with Daniel W Fletcher dedicating his show to the likes of Savile Row gentlemen and punks, Burberry’s dissection of the goth aesthetic would’ve been a welcome final plunge into the corners of British culture under Tisci.
But what was sent down the runway was rather an extension of what we know Tisci has always been good at: the iconic Burberry separates, the trademark (reimagined) print, intricate detailing and top-tier design – not entirely new, or albeit inspiring, but a delivery of fine British fashion at that. But we can’t help but think that if it was in fact the goths that had been strutting their – rather despondent – stuff on the day, then it would have distracted from the real showstopper: an unexpected footwear ensemble.
It’s quite often that Kanye West steals the show, be it on Instagram, in the fashion world, or in music, and the rapper, producer and designer managed to live up to his main-character reputation at the Burberry show. No, not in the form of any outburst at paparazzi or stage-invading, but in the manner of socks and flip flops.
Whilst even writing those two items in the same sentence would make most people wince, we implore you to hear us out. Rather than looking like a lost grandfather or a Bristol student on their way to the shops to pick up baccy and oat milk, West’s choice of black socks with bejewelled strap flip flops brings a regal feel to the holiday staple – maybe this was West’s mournful dedication to the passing of the Queen, who knows.
Paired with an almost full black leather look, washed grey/black hoodie, and his new facial hair, West’s get-up seemed to work… Whether that be because it’s Kanye West wearing it, or because socks and flip flops has always been a combo we just didn’t know that we needed, it doesn’t do any visual harm. And let’s not kid ourselves, we all knew this day would come. First there was getting over the mountain that was socks and sandals, which if done right, can look pretty good. Now, the fashion world is moving a step further (or a step too far) by swapping out the Birkenstocks for some Havaianas, and most definitely removing absolutely any form of podiatric comfort. The bottom line is: all the students and anti-fashionistas who have been doing this for years, you’ve now got the Ye seal of approval.
