EXCLUSIVE: Burberry Takes Its ‘Streets’ Project to Seoul, Including Norman’s British Café
LONDON — Burberry is taking its Streets concept to Seoul, where it plans to offer fashion, food, and special retail experiences showcasing Daniel Lee’s first collection for the brand.
Burberry Streets made its debut last month in London with the brand staging a variety of public-facing installations and street transformations.
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It turned the Bond Street tube station into Burberry Street, wrapping it in the new blue branding and Equestrian Knight design.
It also teamed with the north London café Norman’s to offer a series of British breakfast classics to London Fashion Week guests. There was even a little Norman’s food truck parked outside Burberry’s show in Highbury Fields, north London.
In Seoul, Burberry is building on Streets with a project called Seongsu Rose, which runs from Saturday to Nov. 5.
A series of immersive experiences, installations and events will unfold in the up-and-coming Seongsu area, popular among the city’s youth.
The Seongsu Rose hub, at 73 Yeonmujang-gil Seongdong-gu, is located in a vast former factory space. The centerpiece will be the Petal Maze, an installation inspired by the English rose, a new motif that features big in Lee’s collections.
The U-shaped space showcases the rose print — inside and outside — while the interactive maze features handcrafted, sculpted shapes such as petals, stems and leaves. They serve as a backdrop for Burberry’s fall 2023 collection, with areas dedicated to shoes, bags and ready-to-wear.
The project is a big one. The brand’s chief executive officer Jonathan Akeroyd and chief creative officer Lee will both be attending a special opening event on Saturday.
The temporary space will also host a pop-up of Norman’s, and has been decorated in the café’s signature aesthetic. It will serve an all-day selection of British classics with a local twist.
The Norman’s chefs have been working with their local counterparts for weeks to develop a special menu for the local audience. The café’s specialties, which include chips, eggs and beans, have been prepared and styled to look like little jewels.
Outside the main space there will be two smaller pop-ups: Seongsu Shoe and Seongsu Bottle, offering footwear and hot water bottles, respectively, from the fall 2023 collection.
In addition, a purple rose print will fly on flags and buildings on the streets of Seongsu while Burberry symbols will be seen in multiple locations across the capital.
South Korea is a robust market for the brand. In the first quarter of fiscal 2023-24, sales were up 6 percent at Burberry’s many stores and retail locations in the region.
The next stop for Burberry Streets is Shanghai, with the takeover set to open later this month. Streets will also move to New York City later this year.
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