Burberry partners with artist Quentin Blake for latest collab

Burberry is never far away from a new collaboration and it’s often one that has a distinctive/unique link. So the luxury London fashion house has partnered with artist Sir Quentin Blake on a capsule collection that embodies his “distinctly British sense of imagination.”

And while the resulting key items may not look like the heritage pieces that have been the focus of Burberry’s turnaround, they still fit into the turnaround route that CEO Joshua Schulman has mapped out. 

After all, Quentin Blake is a longstanding ‘national treasure’ in the UK and his imagery is imprinted on the minds of so many people globally through his illustrations for Roald Dahl’s books, among many other achievements.

This capsule, that “serves as a canvas for the celebrated British artist’s paintings and illustrations”, features bold, hand-drawn motifs across a selection of womenswear, menswear and childrenswear.

Designs include feather prints inspired by an original 1971 pen-and-ink illustration from an English-language version of ‘The Birds’ by Aristophanes, alongside a recent series of previously unreleased drawings depicting playful figures interacting with nature.

The staple Burberry Trench, in shower-resistant tropical gabardine, reinterprets Blake’s feather artwork through material techniques and artisanal craft. The fit-and-flare Pembury is lined in printed silk, while the neat, narrow Foxfield features a tactile embroidered design. Inside each piece is Burberry’s Knight label, finished with the artist’s signature.

Printed silk is explored across the collection, appearing as panels on a knitted T-shirt and in fluid separates, ruffled dresses and scarves. Soft cotton jersey T-shirts, tops and sweaters showcase the collection’s artwork.

In accessories, capsule motifs are embroidered on cotton twill baseball caps and Scottish-woven cashmere scarves, brushed for an ultra-soft finish.

Burberry’s chief creative officer Daniel Lee, said: “Sir Quentin Blake’s illustrations capture a sense of childhood magic. They have a very British style, and we wanted to bring his amazing creations into the world of Burberry.”