Daniel Lee Closes LFW with City-Sized Trench Tribute for Burberry

Daniel Lee closed London Fashion Week with a city-sized trench tribute that pushed Burberry’s signature outerwear into theatrical territory. Ruffled-collar trench coats were worn belted and as dresses, styled with Mary Jane heels and sheer tights, while Nova Check faux-fur scarves and jackets popped across the runway in repeated gallery images.

Lee framed the show as an experiment in scale and gendered codes. He said he "wanted to explore new trench territory and put a feminine spin on what started life as a World War I British military garment." The moment landed inside the house’s 170th anniversary year and leaned heavily into core product DNA at a time when Josh Schulman’s strategy emphasizes trenches, scarves, and sturdy accessories; Schulman’s mantra that Burberry "has the most opportunity where it has the most authenticity" felt baked into Lee’s choices. The result was, in a phrase observers have used, "a functional and ferociously focused collection."

Design details read like a trench fan’s fever dream. Traditional gabardine silhouettes were enlarged and softened with ruffles, while shearling outerwear with raw-cut edges was draped over silk dresses or leather pants. Buttery leather showed up in kilts and bombers, the latter paired with slim tracksuit bottoms to keep the looks street-savvy. Sharp cloth coats returned with leather lapels and stand-up collars for a militarized polish that never looked costumey.

Texture was everything. Faux-fur hems were trimmed with sparkly fringe described as "like streaks of rain," giving evening-ready pieces a liquid shimmer. Sleeker occasion looks shimmered with fringe, beads, sequins, and embroidered tassels in a moody palette of rich, deep jewel tones that read like London nightlife translated into cloth. Photo galleries repeatedly captioned the Nova Check pieces, and backstage coverage ran deep, a 26-photo beauty gallery captured hair, makeup, and the finishing touches that made the trenches runway-ready.

Outside the main runway, Instagram-sourced outerwear variants punctuated the narrative: silk bomber jackets, oversized parkas woven with a raffia-effect material, and wet-look raincoats constructed from cotton showed Lee experimenting with fabrication and function. Footwear and accessories remained a business play as much as a styling choice, echoing Schulman’s focus on riding boots and scarves as authentic revenue drivers.

The season arrived amid mixed business signals. One industry writeup framed Burberry as having "sales and profits on the rise, and projected to improve in the brand’s 170th anniversary year," while a separate half-year figure reported a swing to a £53 million loss for the half-year ending September 28, down from a £223 million profit the previous year. That same industry note ran an unconfirmed rumor that Daniel Lee could be set to exit for Jil Sander; Lee joined Burberry in September 2022 after a stint at Bottega Veneta from 2018 to 2021.

Critics and editors left the show calling it "hit after hit." For a brand leaning into heritage in year 170, Lee’s trench-forward close to LFW made the case that Burberry’s outerwear can still move both culture and commerce.