DUBAI: From fashion influencers and entrepreneurs such as Karen Wazen of Lebanon to filmmakers including Saudi producer Mohammed Al-Turki and models like British Moroccan Nora Attal, the Burberry show in London proved a hotspot for Arab talent.
The label presented hippie-inspired crochet dresses, fringed jackets and tailored suits in acid green, yellow and pink, drawing on counterculture fashions from the British music scene for its Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
A Black Sabbath soundtrack lent a rock ’n’ roll edge to the catwalk in the huge tent at Kensington Palace Gardens. The models’ boots and sandals crunched on a brown sand floor, evoking the muddy conditions of music festivals — a theme Burberry has revisited throughout the summer.
Dubai-based Wazen, who is the founder of eyewear label By Karen Wazen, arrived in a beige trench coat with a belted waist and double-breasted detailing, styled with knee-high black boots. She completed the look with long black leather gloves, a sleek black shoulder bag and sunglasses from her own brand.
The coat’s interior lining revealed Burberry’s signature check pattern.
Wazen posed for pictures with Al-Turki, former CEO of the Red Sea Film Festival, and Lebanese model Louai Alama, son of Lebanese superstar Ragheb Alama.
Meanwhile, on the runway, Attal appeared in a sleeveless mini dress adorned with metallic gold discs, styled with black lace-up combat boots. She carried a white fringed shoulder bag and wore oversized dark sunglasses, while silver accessories included a chunky ring and an armband.
The Burberry show, which closed London Fashion Week, was the sixth collection by creative director Daniel Lee and took inspiration from the connection between fashion and music. It was his third since Joshua Schulman became CEO and overhauled the British brand’s sales strategy.
Under Schulman, Burberry’s advertising has drawn on Britain’s outsized influence on music, featuring artists from Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher to producer and DJ Goldie and hip-hop musician Loyle Carner.
Burberry’s check pattern featured on chainmail mini dresses in black and silver, and pink and neon green, and on trench coats, which also came in snakeskin and a tarot card print.
“Burberry’s collection felt like a confident embrace of a younger client, rooted firmly in British culture and the energy of music festivals,” said Simon Longland, director of fashion buying at Harrods.
