Burberry continued their adored tradition of Makers House, opening the doors of their revered showroom to the fashion-loving public last month, unveiling their unique collaboration with the Henry Moore Foundation.

Henry Moore (1898–1986) was one of the most important artists and sculptors of the 20th century. He is renowned for his semi-abstract monumental shapes and sensual curves representing the human body. England’s lush landscape and the beauty of nature proved to be his endless sources of inspiration. Some of Moore´s iconic ideas can be traced back to the found objects he collected – pebbles, bones, seashells and quirky pieces of wood adored the shelves of his studio, creating his beloved “library of natural forms.”

Moore would also sketch these objects and transform them into artistic masterpieces   through the addition of new material.

Born and later based in Yorkshire – the same as Burberry´s iconic trench coat factory and the birthplace of current creative director Christopher Bailey, Moore became a global star in his own lifetime. His work effectively symbolised post-war modernism and can be said to have caused a British sculptural renaissance.

This exhibition was the celebration of Burberry´s new collection – named innovatively “February 2017” rather than traditionally defined by S/S or A/W seasons, alongside the work and creative process of the iconic artist who inspired it.

The exhibition looked behind the scenes into Henry Moore´s workshop as well as Burberry´s studios to view the research and creation processes, explaining how the final results were achieved.

The whole showroom was divided into different segments – one corner at the entrance featured evocative Henry Moore exhibition posters from around the world, spanning 60 years.

The passage to the main showroom was filled with an exhibition of 78 couture capes introduced on the February runway. Inspired by the scale and form of Henry Moore’s elemental sculptures and created using unique constructions and remarkable materials, each design was handmade and available to order, making them unique collector´s pieces.

The main hall featured the full Burberry collection, shown first during London Fashion Week, allowing curious eyes to discover the garments up close. Unfortunately, fashionistas who wanted to purchase or try them on still had to mince across Soho to the Burberry shop or whip out their phone to get online.

The collection featured deconstructed knitwear, asymmetric lines, a selection of capes, alongside their signature trench coats, ruffled shirt dresses mixed with lace details and strongly emblazoned nautical stripes.

A separate section looked at Burberry´s inspiration room, taking a glimpse into the research, creative techniques and sketches behind the new runway collection.

Similar sneaky peeks could be taken at Henry Moore´s creative process, exploring the artist’s working methods – drawings, found objects and large-scale sculptures showcasing the creative process of one of the greatest artists to have ever hailed from our glorious isle.