Burberry's in the trenches

LONDON (AP) — Burberry and its creative director Christopher Bailey made a triumphant return to London on Tuesday night, winning over a star-studded audience at the glitziest event of the capital’s fashion week.

Bailey, who has helped transform the once staid brand into a fashion powerhouse, showed a series of short dresses, including many with a trench coat theme familiar to longtime fans of Burberry.

There was just enough of the traditional Burberry plaid to keep traditionalists happy, while younger fans were drawn to the soft, sexy lines of the dresses, most of them in beige (long associated with Burberry) and pale greens and yellows.

“I thought it was beautiful, and very poetic,” said Hilary Alexander, fashion director of The Daily Telegraph newspaper. “The heritage was there, but it was like a ballet, a dance.”

Silk and organza in pastel colors were draped to form structured short skirts and dresses, a lemon version of which was worn to the event by Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto.

“I loved the show, it was brilliant. I think it was different, it was classy and not too fussy,” the Indian actress told AFP after the show, which she attended with her co-star Dev Patel.

The couple joined a string of A-list celebrities on the front row, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, Harry Potter star Emma Watson — who models for Burberry — and Anna Wintour, editor in chief of American Vogue.

Bailey used sequins and bright metallic silver fabric to set off some of his jackets and tops, adding glitter to the look, and also used padded shoulders for emphasis on several of the combination trench-dresses that were an important theme of the show.

Belts were used for shape, and the models looked extremely feminine, their long flowing hair and natural makeup bucking a trend toward androgyny seen in other shows this week.

Burberry chief executive office Angela Ahrendt said before the show began that it was an honor to be back on the catwalks in London, where the company has long been based.

“It’s a phenomenal honor,” she said, gesturing to the gathered crowd. “We are a British brand. For Christopher Bailey, who’s British, he can finally come home and share his talent with the rest of the country.”

The show marked the return of Burberry, long an iconic British brand, to the London Fashion Week’s catwalk. In the past, the heritage brand has preferred to launch Milan.