Burberry’s Daniel Lee has unveiled his vision for the Claridge’s Christmas tree, while the British house will also be taking over the hotel with Burberry cocktails, baubles and a special pop-up store
In 2009, John Galliano – then in the heady heyday of his tenure as creative director of Dior – was drafted to design the Christmas tree for Claridge’s, the storied hotel on London’s Brook Street. In typically theatrical style, he eschewed the traditional conifer for twisting branches inhabited by leopards and parrots – the designer described it as ‘icy frozen snow scenes mixed with a tropical twist’. Of the break with tradition, The Guardian headline ran: ‘Help, the fashion police have kidnapped Christmas!’ Undeterred, the next year, Galliano unveiled a majestic ‘tree’ recalling coral and adorned with floating sea creatures.
In the years that have followed, Claridge’s has drafted a roll-call of international fashion designers and brands to put their stamp on the lobby tree, from the traditional (Christian Louboutin chose gold and red baubles to decorate his frosted winter wonderland) to the conceptual (Louis Vuitton’s take was a tree-shaped pile of the house’s signature trunks). Other designers have included Karl Lagerfeld, Kim Jones, Dolce & Gabbana, while those outside of fashion have included Kally Ellis of McQueens flowers and Sir Jony Ive & Marc Newson.
This year, it is the turn of Burberry and its creative director Daniel Lee to imagine this year’s tree, which was unveiled in 25 November in an early-morning ceremony in the hotel’s lobby. At the centre of the 16ft tree’s design are the numerous bows that adorn it, each one crafted from surplus Burberry fabric. Lee said he chose the leitmotif because the bow was a ‘Victorian symbol of unity’. The top of the tree features a golden crown in lieu of a star or fairy, while the floor around the tree is piled with Burberry cushions and populated with oversized chess pieces.
Elsewhere, other decorations look to the great outdoors: the tree is also adorned with foliage and thistle, the latter a nod to Scotland and the Highlands, where the house’s scarves are produced. ‘Rugged British landscapes are the most beautiful. Natural tones of greens, blues and browns blend in texture. For the Christmas Tree, we wanted to bring the outdoors in’ Lee says.
The tree is part of a wider takeover of Claridge’s by Burberry: hotel guests will be greeted by Claridge’s doormen wrapped in chequered Burberry scarves, while the house’s signature pattern also adorns key holders and the sofas in the hotel’s traditional seated lifts. Meanwhile at the bar, a special Burberry cocktail will be available, while trolleys of sweets will allow indulgences to be delivered to guests in Burberry check cones. Finally, a pop-up store has been erected, allowing guests to purchase a selection of gifts chosen for the holiday season – from a ‘Scarf Bar’ to Burberry baubles.
It is not the first time that Burberry has been in charge of the Claridge’s Christmas tree: a decade ago, in 2015, then-creative director Christopher Bailey – a designer who Lee says has been an inspiration for his own tenure at the house – constructed a tree made from gleaming gold and silver umbrellas. After his appointment in 2022, Lee said that the first-ever fashion show he attended was Bailey’s A/W 2012 outing for Burberry, which memorably featured an artificial downpour.
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Words Jack Moss
Image credit: Courtesy of Burberry
