Burberry’s new American boss says he has no plans to pull Britain’s most famous fashion brand from the market.
Speaking after his first London Fashion Week show since taking on the role of Burberry Group chief executive in July, Joshua Shulman said he wanted to maintain the brand’s upward trajectory while improving the balance of its prices.
In effect, the former Michael Kors CEO is trying to address criticism that the British trench-coat maker didn’t do enough to push the brand upmarket, rushing unfamiliar new products onto stores at high prices and confusing customers about the brand.
Mr. Shulman, who has worked for brands considered affordable luxury such as Michael Kors and Coach, had led industry analysts to believe he might position Burberry at the lower end of the market. Mr. Shulman is due to announce his strategy for the brand in November.
The executive takes over at a difficult time for Burberry, which is grappling with a broader fashion-industry downturn due to weak demand in China and a slowing U.S. economy, as well as its own unique problems that are leading to declining sales and profits.
The company was dropped from the FTSE 100 index earlier this month, ending a 15-year presence there after its market capitalization fell below the level needed to maintain its place. Its shares have fallen more than 75% from their all-time high hit in April last year. They were up 1.8% in early London trading on Tuesday.
Burberry designer Daniel Lee, who has been under pressure to help develop products that will appeal to the brand’s core customer, presented his spring/summer 2025 collection at London’s National Theatre on Monday.
The collection featured a mix of male and female models wearing a variety of jackets and trench coats, some with angel-wing collars in shades of brown, grey and pale pink.
Front row guests included Jerry Hall, Blur frontman Damon Albarn, actress Olivia Colman, who played the late Queen Elizabeth II in “The Crown,” and former professional footballer Rio Ferdinand.
Yorkshire-born Lee took over two years ago under former CEO Jonathan Aykroyd, who sought to return Burberry to its British roots, and Shulman said he wanted to preserve the Britishness of the brand, known for its distinctive beige checked pattern.
When asked if his collaboration with Lee would continue, Shulman said only that “the show today was great,” and declined to say anything more.
Angelina Lascue
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