Dafydd Jones, Magdalen Commemoration Ball, Oxford, 1988 © Dafydd Jones
With London Fashion Week mere weeks away, British heritage brand Burberry, whose show is one of the most anticipated on the schedule, has announced that it will not only be celebrating the launch of its new collection with a traditional catwalk presentation, but by hosting a major photography exhibition. ‘Here We Are’ will explore the British way of life and its character, bringing together the work of over 30 of the 20th century’s most lauded social and documentary photographers.
Martin Parr, O’Connell Bridge, Dublin, Ireland, October 1981 © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos / Rocket Gallery
Curated by Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s President and Chief Creative Officer, and Lucy Kumara Moore, writer, curator and Director of specialist fashion and photography bookshop Claire de Rouen, ‘Here We Are’ will showcase important bodies of work by individual photographers as discrete, monographic presentations, alongside thematic displays. “It has been an extraordinary privilege to gather together this collection of photographs, that have influenced me so much over the years,” said Christopher Bailey. “They provide a portrait of British life, in all its nuances, both exceptional and mundane, beautiful and harsh.”
Alasdair McLellan, Belfast, 2005 © Alasdair McLellan
The exhibition has been co-curated by photographer Alasdair McLellan, who has just been named as Burberry’s latest creative collaborator, a role that will involve him capturing portfolios of images for the company to be revealed on the brand’s various platforms over the coming months. To mark the collaboration, ‘Here We Are’ will also feature a special presentation of over 70 photographs by McLellan, the largest number of his works shown to date, including a selection of previously unseen images.
Ken Russell, In Your Dreams, January 1955 © TopFoto / Ken Russell
Displayed over three floors of Burberry’s new show venue, the exhibition will be held at Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell, which will open its doors to the public for the first time since its restoration. The 18th-century building will also host an exhibition of the latest mens and women's collection, which will be unveiled on Saturday, 16th September. “It’s the spirit of those photographs – sometimes ironic, sometimes tender, always truthful – that has guided our September collection,” said Christopher Bailey.
Burberry’s September 2017 collection for men and women will be available for immediate purchase globally after the show.
‘Here We Are’ will be held at Old Sessions House, 22 Clerkenwell Green, London from 18th September to 1st October. Entrance is free.