Burberry Is Back

& really wants to sell you a bag

When I studied abroad in London in the early 2000s, I ate Ramen for a month and used the 299 GBP I saved to purchase a Burberry check shoulder bag. Made of the same print (and plastic) as the brand’s rain boots, it was shaped like a slightly-too-large baguette with a single flap that closed with a hidden magnet. It had a silver Burberry charm hanging off it, which made me feel very chic. Worth noting that same bag is now selling on preloved sites for upwards of $1200. Friendly reminder to Mynt your bags :)

Then IDK what happened. I consigned the bag at some point and pretty much forgot Burberry existed for about 20 years — apparently I was in good company (see chart below).

Then Daniel Lee took charge. ICYMI, Lee was the designer responsible for turning the tide at Bottega Veneta, which is no doubt why Burberry tapped him to revive its … milquetoast? … non-existent? image.

Last night Lee faced the challenge head-on, and nowhere did he deliver more notably than with bags. This is especially interesting, as increasing its accessories line (and bag sales in particular) is a key pillar to Burberry’s very ambitious growth strategy over the next five years.

Bags have never been a strong suit for Burberry (see the description of my purchase above). But at his debut show, Lee turned out bag after bag that would be remembered. He featured bags which were the opposite of precious, had some heft, and were designed, in his words, “to be chucked on the floor.”

There were oversized bags. There were bags with (faux) fox tails hanging off them. There were bags in Burberry check — but in color ways we’ve never seen before. There was this bag:

It remains to be seen whether luxury lovers will flock to these bold new Burberry bags, but at the very least, Lee has put his stake in the ground.

What do you think of these new Burberry bags? Will you buy one?