Rosalía and Bella Hadid Hosted Burberry's Forest Fashion Show

Label Creative Director Riccardo Tisci enlisted visual artist Anne Imhof for the broadcast, ensuring that each live cut was enhanced with an elevated sense of cinematic drama. As the all-star cast of hosts — Erykah Badu, Rosalía, Steve Lacy and Bella Hadid — concluded their online introduction to the collection, the cameras immediately switched to several models changing into pieces from the latest collection in hall-of-mirror-esque fitting rooms, before showing them step out into a tranquil, natural setting.

"It began with a thought of British summertime; embracing the elements with a trench coat on the beach mixing with the sand and the water," Tisci said on the presentation's conception. "I envisioned the people of this space, like the lighthouse keeper, and a love affair between a mermaid and a shark, set against the ocean, then brought to land. The circle is hugely symbolic — regrowth, renewal, the circle of life."

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Models stomped between the towering trees of an overgrown forest to the radical sounds of clashing guitar music — a visual and audible embodiment of the collection's worlds-colliding aesthetic. At the presentation's height, models dressed in black and white performed a contemporary dance, choreographed by Imhof, juxtaposing nature's opulence with the collection's man-made touch — the natural met the fashioned, and utility fused with romance.

"The collection is called 'In Bloom' because I was thinking about regeneration, about dynamic youth, about nature constantly recreating itself, always growing and evolving, always alive," Tisci continued. "Water is a symbol of that also — of newness, freshness and cleansing. And through water, life grows — water is what allows nature to bloom. Everything is circular."

Within the range, the women's iterations reflect a duality of mysticism and reality with fairytale details of tulle and chiffon, crystal-studded fishnets and allegorical prints. Meanwhile, the men's offerings draw from the rugged practicality of a seafarer's wardrobe — rubber finishes, statement denim and the brand's founder Thomas Burberry's gabardine. Together, the palette immerses itself in a sphere of oceanic blues, accented by the House's signature beige and strikes of mariner orange.

"The collection is focused and refined — one vision, one story," Tisci said. "This is the essence of both Burberry's identity and my own creativity. Reaffirming the codes of Burberry — my codes of Burberry, our DNA." Watch Burberry's unconventional Spring 2021 presentation, below.

Photos courtesy of Burberry