Riccardo Tisci has always been a stand out men’s wear designer. Particularly at Givenchy his men’s collections were the secret growth engine. So it only made sense that he introduced a stand-alone men’s show for Fall/Winter 2021 giving the London season a much-needed injection of energy. After New York fashion week passed by without registering on the fashion Richter scale, except for Ella Emhoff’s model cameo at Proenza Schouler, the collection entitled Escapes united Burberry’s outdoor roots with Tisci’s tailoring panache.

Here is the mark of a super designer.

He does what he does best no matter where he works. Tisci signatures are the backbone of this new Burberry collection: Clerical pleating, leather leggings (his first Givenchy men’s collection), ample color blocking, giant stars as prints and a multi ethnic cast which looks straight out of a council estate in east London. Look number one had it all. A classic Burberry trench cut off in the back to reveal a multi-pleated frock, a fur lining and black dress pants. There were so many pleats and fringes on coats and jackets that the Regent Street store location looked like it was somewhere outdoors with strong winds considering all the dingle dangle motion on the garments.

What convinced?

Tisci has endless ideas and the V-neck of a sweater on trench coats looked fresh. Add to that his sense of color blocking on shirts and sweaters with greens, black and browns, the exaggerated lapel on jackets, or the metallic mesh cycling shorts. This collection showed a designer hard at work.

When the pandemic is over, the outdoors are best discovered in?

Burberry coats in dozens of different shades of beige plus a super cool backpack for Wanderlust with detailed blanket straps even holding an umbrella.

Who would have thought?

That a black mini shirtdress with cut off sleeves and endless pleats combined with leather leggings can look so masculine.