Burberry to create costumes for The Royal Ballet

Finale at Burberry A/W 2023 show — The finale of Burberry’s A/W 2023 show in February 2023, which marked designer Daniel Lee’s debut at the house

(Image credit: Courtesy of Burberry)

At his debut show for Burberry earlier this year, Yorkshire-born designer Daniel Lee – previously of Bottega Veneta – said that his vision for the historic house hinged on ‘showing a positive side of Britain to the world’. ‘There is great music here, great theatre, great art,’ said the newly installed creative director after the show. ‘That’s something I missed in recent years and that’s what I’m trying to celebrate.’

A new project, revealed today, looks set to do just that. Marking his first major collaboration at the house so far, Lee will create costumes for Wayne McGregor’s latest work for The Royal Ballet. The lauded British choreographer – currently the resident choreographer for the company – has not yet named this latest work, though today’s announcement says it will be set to music by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir and take place over a single act.

Burberry to collaborate with The Royal Ballet

Portrait of Burberry designer Daniel Lee — Burberry creative director Daniel Lee

Premiering 9 June 2023 at London’s Royal Opera House, the work will also feature lighting design by Lucy Carter and set design by Cuba-born American artist Carmen Herrera, who passed away in 2022, aged 106. It marks McGregor’s 20th work for The Royal Ballet and follows his revival of ‘Woolf Works’ in March 2023.

‘For this extraordinary Royal Ballet project with the late, great minimalist artist Carmen Herrera, we dreamt of collecting together a stellar team,’ says McGregor. ‘Daniel Lee, an artist with unbridled imagination, is creating work of innovation, motion, and piercing beauty. And with his exceptional passion for all forms of dance, he felt like a natural ally. Together, with the Burberry team, we are working on something truly special – honouring Carmen whilst forging our own evolutionary path.’

Choreographer Wayne McGregor portrait — Resident choreographer at The Royal Ballet Wayne McGregor

‘It is such a pleasure, and of course an honour, to collaborate on this extraordinary project with so remarkable a team,’ adds Lee. ‘It’s always been a dream to create costumes for dance which is such a passion of mine.’

Tickets for the performance will go on sale 13 April 2023, available from the Royal Opera House’s website.

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Jack Moss is the Fashion & Beauty Features Director at Wallpaper*, having joined the team in 2022 as Fashion Features Editor. Previously the digital features editor at AnOther and digital editor at 10 Magazine, he has also contributed to numerous international publications and featured in ‘Dazed: 32 Years Confused: The Covers’, published by Rizzoli. He is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines – notably art and design – as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. Across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including Rick Owens, Pieter Mulier, Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, Christian Lacroix, Kate Moss and Manolo Blahnik.