“The classic formula for success is: Dress British, Think Michigan Avenue.” (adapted from the Proverb – “Dress British, Think Yiddish.”)
Chicago’s A-list crowd invaded Burberry’s Flagship Store on the Magnificent Mile on Thursday, November 29. Five floors of fabulous fashion offering everything Burberry from makeup, accessories, footwear, fragrance, handbags and clothing for children, men and women.
Burberry’s brilliant (brilliant with a capital B) Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey hosted over 600 guests to celebrate the official opening of the new flagship store, the second largest in North America. Mr. Bailey shared, “It was incredibly exciting to launch our beautiful new flagship store in the heart of downtown Chicago tonight. We brought our new space to life through a distinctly British mix of music and weather, digital projections of Chicago’s iconic landmarks and by showcasing some of the most inspiring Chicagoans on our Art of the Trench platform. This city really has the most wonderful creative energy running through it and tonight was our chance to celebrate that.”
Founded over 150 years ago, this fashion house has continually reinvented itself through successful campaigns, one after the other. Burberry’s latest venture is the Art of the Trench. The use of digital media boosted awareness of this campaign via Burberry social media sites including Twitter, Tumblr and Google+. Burberry Bespoke features the made to order trench, offering the following options: style and length, fabric and color, sleeves, lining, collar, buttons and hardware, belts, and monogram. The possibilities are endless. Price point starts around $2,195. All eyes will be across the pond, waiting for Princess Kate to showcase her favorite Burberry-styled trench.
British musician Carl Barat from the Libertines rocked the room live, with DJ Matt Roan wrapping up the entertainment for the evening.
Seen on the scene: actors Charlie Barnett, Billy Zane and Alex Holden, American former football player Jerry Azuman, Billy Dec, Ford Model Andrea Parsons, power couple Maria Ponce Berre and Trey Berre, DJ Kid Color, artist JC Steinbrunner, Chef Art Smith, Table 52 Proprietor Julie Latsko, the Public’s Christopher Dovalina, J. P. Anderson, Dr. Spiro Megremis, Marc Brooks and Photographer Victor Skrebneski, among others.
In celebration of the opening, the Burberry Foundation is partnering with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to create $2.2 million in funding to support the Chicago Hive Learning Network. This new funding, $1.7 million and $500,000 from the MacArthur and Burberry foundations respectively, will be deployed to inspire young people in Chicago, creating new innovative educational experiences designed to nurture their skills and creative confidence.
Photo credit (Burberry Flagship Store): Burberry
