My coat
My American friend called the Burberry show Tuesday a "fashion-gasm". That about sums it up for me too, but not for the same reasons. The show was a triumph. It created need where there was none. It set trends and was dramatically staged with celebrities and plenty of pomp. Of particular note was the outerwear and leather accessories. Burberry is as Burberry does.
Shearling aviator jacket, olive parka coat, navy cadet peacoat. Thigh-high boot, buckled shearling ankle boot, ruched snakeskin thigh boot. These fashion jewels kept on coming and all excited desire.
Desire like this once created, demands to be sated and the sooner the better. Burberry knows this. So how to satisfy when the collection on show will not be on sale for six long months? This brings me to the point of this post. My "fashion-gasm" if you like. Sarah Mower reported on Style.com yesterday that Burberry were to allow fans instant gratification by offering an online pre-order option for 80% of the collection.
It took me a minute to click through to Burberry and there were all the coats from the runway collection, shown on a model who moved and turned the coat or jacket seductively when clicked upon. Until 28th February she is there for you too, and she will tantalise you with that piece you want. It takes a few clicks to order and pay. Delivery in six to eight weeks. THAT is a fashion-gasm: a totally new way to access the nerve center that controls my shopping habits. It is creating a new neural pathway in my brain as I write.
"Every step forward changes or challenges past mechanisms" one of my sage fashion critic friends emailed today. She is right. Still, I would very much like to buy the coat in the manner above, without touching it or trying it on. It costs £2,795.
Below is the jacket (£2,195) purchased yesterday by Rachael Proud the buyer in charge of designer collaborations at TopShop. She is a very happy girl today, as this jacket is fabulous and will suit her down to the ground. She followed the same path as me upon reading Mower's review on Style.com, except she sealed the deal. ""Their returns policy is as normal, so if I don't like it, I can return it," she said with audible relief.
Rachael's jacket
Kate Hudson's coat (and the dream coat of every fashion editor in the world) £5,495
During the show on Tuesday night I happened to see Kate Hudson mouth the words "I want all of it" to her neighbour. However according to my sources, she settled on this coat; it reminds me of what she wore in 'Almost Famous.' My source at Burberry also tells me that this quilted jacket is the runaway best-seller so far. Interesting, no? If you want one the advice is to buy it one size too big.
The most-clicked and bought pre-order jacket from Burberry's AW10 runway
Kristen Stewart's coat
Back to the coat that started all this; as my finger hovered above the "click and buy" button a wise and practical friend of mine pulled me roughly to my senses. "What if you're over it before the Autumn kicks in?" And the clincher: "Isn't that half the budget for your wedding?"
