Burberry Prorsum Fall 2010

This isn’t your grandmother’s Burberry. This isn’t even your mother’s Burberry. Indeed, it says a lot about a brand when the only problem with its outerwear is deciding which one to buy. For his fall Prorsum collection (theme: “Protect, Explore, Inspire”), chief creative director Christopher Bailey delivered a stellar lineup that was executed with military precision–but then rounded ever just so. In the first grouping of looks cast in shades of mustard and olive that have become Burberry’s signature hues (and which only the house can make look so desirable), models–or Burberry Cadet Girls–paraded out in shearling jackets that were puffed and paired with trousers and narrow skirts–soft thanks to their cut in silk, lace and washed velvet–that hugged the model’s body ever so gently.

Dandelions blowing in the wind? Perhaps, but there was more than meets the eye. As Bailey said himself, the collection was grounded in outerwear (much of it, like the coveted accessories, was available for pre-order on Burberry’s Web site immediately after the show). “It’s a contradiction between outerwear and feminine dresses and skirts,” said the designer with the boyish good looks. “Aviation was a pivotal focus but it gets more decorative.”

That decree came in form of a series of looks that features some truly terrific zipper detail–easily the strongest pieces in the entire collection. Gorgeous razor-cut peacoats, ruched ribbon panel dresses and hemmed skirts featured zipper details at the waist and the sides which made for a sleek yet refined aesthetic–particularly when paired with a skinny trouser or shearling-lined aviator boot.

Speaking of shearling, the aviator jackets were outstanding. Fabricated in olive green wool felt or classic chocolate leather–cropped, turned inside out to an expanse of rich fur, oversized, or double-zip collared with leather strap details–there was something for everyone. The classic trench, meanwhile, was reworked with aviator style details on the top half and a shearling lining and subtly accessorized with fall’s new bag: the Cadet Sling.

To deviate momentarily from the rigid persona, Bailey showed his gentler side via a series of coats and jackets made from a patchwork of varying sheepskins. A stunning lineup of bordeaux separates in all the must-have silhouettes capped off a truly remarkable showing, made all the more so by it having been live streamed to cities as far reaching as Dubai, Tokyo, Paris and Los Angeles.