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Every February gets a new Burberry collection, but every February doesn't get an instantly-shoppable Burberry collection. Today the British brand showed an in-season, immediately buyable collection, turning away from the fashion calendar's long lead time (everyone else is previewing fall 2016 this month) to face the customer.
Burberry isn't the only brand to experiment with the format this season: Over New York Fashion Week, Rebecca Minkoff showed a full spring 2016 range, while both Banana Republic and Proenza Schouler offered a selection of see-now, buy-now looks within their larger collections. This September, Tommy Hilfiger and Tom Ford have pledged to show fall clothes instead of the expected spring 2017 collections.
But back to Burberry. In September, the brand showed spring 2016, just like everybody else, so what it sent out today was billed as "February 2016." Fittingly, models wore tights under their minidresses with coats on top — plaid, military, puffer, and snakeskin outerwear all in the mix. There were flared and slim trousers, long-sleeve blouses, and plenty of boots: outfits you would really wear this week and for a few following (assuming you live in a climate like London, where it's 9º C, 48º F today). Most of the coats, which also included giant shearlings and furs, will need to go into the closet by early March, but there were a number of dresses that, smartly, could be worn into spring months.
On top of the updated show-to-shop timing, the brand has also used this collection to unite its Prorsum, London, and Brit lines under one "Burberry" label. It's "a move designed to simplify the presentation of Burberry's full product range," explains a press release from the brand. Outside of the fashion industry and the small selection of Burberry fan boys/girls, does the average person know — or care — what a Burberry Brit trench coat is compared to a Burberry Prorsum trench coat? I will gander no, and co-sign the brand's move into keeping it simple, stupid.
As for how to shop the collection, if you are in the position to drop $3,195 on a wool cashmere military coat, the February collection will be sold starting today at Burberry's Regent Street flagship in London for one week before moving to its Faubourg Saint-Honoré store in Paris (timed just as those fashion editors are out of Milan and on to Paris for the final stretch of Fashion Month — we see you, Burberry). Of course it's also available now on burberry.com. Burberry may be a luxury brand, but they would never alienate their global customer base with something archaic like an in-store collection.
The fashion brand also partnered with Apple TV, fashion's favorite tech brand determined to maintain their footing (see: Chloë Sevigny Apple Watch ads, Costume Institute/Met Gala sponsorship, etc.). Through Apple TV, viewers can request a phone call from "dedicated Burberry Customer Services Consultants" to pre-order select pieces from the collection.
Whichever way one decides to buy, the pieces will only be shoppable until March 7th — but delivery isn't instant. "Orders will be shipped within 12 to 18 weeks from this date depending on the items purchased," informs the website. So if you see that wool cashmere coat today, February 22nd, and plunk down three grand for it, you won't have it until early June at the very earliest. If I were a high rolling Burberry customer, I'd be a bit frustrated by that; might as well just go in the store and buy a fabulous fall 2015 coat that's likely marked down by now.