Burberry RTW Spring 2023

In what is widely considered his swan song for the brand, Riccardo Tisci did what it's better: Riccardo Tisci.

Spring 2023 felt like the kind of slinky collection Tisci had always wanted to do, but couldn't, due to the constraints of working with a heritage brand - and one with royal warrants, no less.

Burberry is an official supplier to members of the British Royal Family, and with that connection come responsibilities . It also meant the brand had to postpone its London Fashion Week show due to the timing of the mourning period and Queen Elizabeth II's funeral earlier this month.

The original show was to be a big bang event in Trafalgar Square, although Monday's replacement venue hasn't been it's so shabby.

The show took place in a vast former police depot south of the Thames, with members of the London Contemporary Orchestra gathered in the middle of the space, playing alongside soprano opera singer Nadine Sierra.

There was a lot of sizzle in this collection which Tisci says was inspired by beach life British. There were lean figures with serpentine hips; fishnet dresses; sheer stocking fabrics; silky lace-trimmed lingerie dresses and even a few rhinestone bikinis.

While the phrase "British beach life" may sound strange, any holidaymaker knows they can be windy and rainy by the sea all year round – Tisci said he sees the beach more as a “heart of society” and a “crucible of humanity”. He also layered his looks as a tribute to Britain's temperamental climate.

They weren't all flesh and lace doll dresses either. Some of these models wore dramatic denim skirts and matching jackets with ruffles at the back. The black velvet dresses, adorned with big bows as thick and greasy as sausages, made his ladies look like John Singer Sargent's "Portrait of Madame X".

Menswear, on the other hand, was the usual mix of street and couture with swimwear oversized footballs alongside rugged checks tailored jackets and suits with snaps instead of buttons.

“We explored a new sensuality — an awareness of the body. I was inspired by the liberation and openness of youth, people embracing their bodies and revealing them,” the designer said in the liner notes.

Given his planned departure from the brand, which could occur as soon as this week, Tisci has not talk to the press before or after the show.

Burberry has repeatedly declined to comment on the future of Tisci or his replacement. According to industry sources, Daniel Lee, who most recently worked at Bottega Veneta, is expected to sign with Burberry soon.

His job description should be more limited than Tisci's, however, and it's unlikely that he was named creative director, a title originally created for Christopher Bailey who later moved on to Tisci.

On Monday, Tisci's model buddies came over to put on a show and, presumably, say goodbye. It was a Who's Who parade that included Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk, Karen Elson, Erin O'Connor and Maria Carla Boscono. His friends in the front row were also present, including a smiling and slimmer Kanye West.

If this was a goodbye, maybe this show was also a clue to the Tisci's future, one where he's free to unleash all that warmth and passion that has been...