Some brands corner a niche in the market – offering specialist styles to a certain discerning customer. If you’re into meta street style, for example – not everybody’s cup of tea, of course – you might go to Off-White. If you’re particularly picky about, say, chinos, you may seek out Incotex. Or, if you’re after platonic white sneakers: look up Common Projects. Burberry, on the other hand has always seemed like it has something for everyone; one of the most likeable, consistent brands on the market. Obviously, we’re not suggesting we all shop there (not everyone can pull off a tartan bucket hat, after all), but it is difficult to see how one could actively dislike its consistently stylish, often classic and subtle, offering. And yet, it is a brand that is also constantly evolving – quite literally, if we take the SS20 Evolution collection, which marks two years to the month that Mr Riccardo Tisci took creative control of the British brand.

“My first year at Burberry was about understanding and refining the new codification for the house. With that foundation in place, I feel ready to start exploring what’s at the heart of this incredible brand,” says Mr Tisci. So, what exactly did he find? “In the archive, I discovered this beautiful story at the origin of our past. Thomas Burberry was a young pioneer and a self-made man who built his company during the Victorian era – a time in Britain for great change and progress, an era that has always inspired me and my work. He chose to present his company with an emblem of a knight on a horse, but for his family crest, he instead chose a unicorn. Thomas Burberry was a daring innovator but also a romantic and a dreamer.”

You could say that the key to Burberry’s success has been to recognise its roots, delve into its past, pay homage to tradition, but to play around with ideas and experiment. And Evolution feels like the brand’s most experimental collection yet. As Mr Tisci says, “This is the story behind this collection, a collection inspired by our past and dedicated to our future. It’s the evolution of our Burberry kingdom.”

More specifically, the Evolution collection is a celebration of a new direction. New house codes, yet codes that are influenced, as Mr Tisci referenced, by the Victorian era, which gave birth to the brand. And you can see evidence of this in some of the styling and silhouettes. In our select buy, which you can shop here, you will see cinched waists on formal wear, rugby shirts with rib-knit panels, a “crystal-mesh” polo (now we’re really talking recreational experimentation), wide-leg trousers, and tie-dye. Quite the trip, we’re sure you’ll agree. Also in the mix are bowling shirts, tailored black and white blazers, and wide-leg workwear trousers. Like we said. Whether they’re keeping things traditional or experimenting with colour palettes, shapes, and the brand’s foundation story – there’s something for everyone at Burberry.

Like we said, whether they’re keeping things traditional or experimenting with colour palettes, shapes, and the brand’s foundation story – there’s something for everyone at Burberry.