Inside the Epic Burberry x SSENSE Experience Happening Now in NYC
June 17, 2021: Burberry has teamed up with SSENSE for its first-ever retailer design takeover, which also introduces a special capsule collection. The two reimagine the traditional retail storefront with an immersive experience entitled, Imaginary Cities. The physical retail space has been on the decline, and the coronavirus pandemic accelerated people purchasing online rather than visiting in-store locations. Brands are looking to creatively bring back shoppers to their stores as we gradually return to normal life. In Burberry’s case, that includes a physidigital walkthrough at its Soho flagship.
Ahead of its official opening on June 17, GRAZIA got a look at the installation. Fully transforming to what felt more like a museum experience than a retail space, the experience merges the digital and physical worlds. Entering through a system of tunnel interventions, raised pathways, and dynamic lighting pouring through distressed tensile canopies is where you meet Burberry’s Mythical Alphabet capsule collection. The line, designed in collaboration with British graphic designer Peter Saville and illustrator Jo Ratcliffe, includes monochrome T-Shirts, silk shirts and shorts, and accessories with Mythical Alphabet prints and hardware. The collection stars are trench coats printed with graphic illustrations of half-human, half-beast figures enveloping the letters of the alphabet.
On the second floor, a beige carpeted alcove playing Burberry’s A-B-CITY short film on loop. The film is an abstract meditation on coping with extreme change (sounds, very timely, no?) The film stars Lourdes Leon, Selyna Brillare, and Alexis Chaparro in vignettes bringing main character energy throughout New York City. “At Burberry, we are driven to innovate, pushing the boundaries of how our customer experiences our brand in both the physical and digital realms. says Gianluca Flore, President of Americas & Global Retail Excellence at the label. “We look forward to revealing Imaginary Cities to audiences in New York and beyond, capturing the imagination with these new spaces and Burberry’s Mythical Alphabet capsule collection.”
In the meantime, if you aren’t able to get to the Soho flagship, shop our favorite pieces from the Burberry’s Mythical Alphabet capsule below.
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