It was a celebration of fashion and shepherd’s pie as Burberry toasted to London in Los Angeles at the Griffith Park Observatory last night. The iconic location was dramatically transformed with gates that looked borrowed from Buckingham Palace, real Grenadier Guards on loan from London, and a combination of British and American flags.
“There is a synergy between the two cultures here, a great deal of elegance, class that comes with Burberry and we have some elegance and class here, so the meshing of that is a fun night,” Ryan Seacrest told InStyle.RELATED: The Beckhams Make Burberry’s L.A. Show a Family Affair
The evening started with a garden party with string quartets on the green, and a dramatic view of the city as a backdrop and plenty of chances to stargaze using the observatory telescopes. Cara Delevingne fished gum out of her purse and she waited in line to catch the fashion show that followed. “Every show it’s always something amazing—either it rains, or they have someone just beautiful performing—like in Shanghai, I flew,” Delevingne said. “We’ve done stuff with holograms. It will be a host of surprises; I can’t wait.”
Mila Kunis made a rare red-carpet appearance since becoming a new mom, and got plenty of support from friends like James Corden before she found her front-row seat for the show. “You are killing it, Mila, killing it!” The Late Late Show host cat-called to her.
Elton John, Rachel Zoe, Kate Beckinsale, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and David Beckham grabbed seats up front (Beckham’s plus-one, Harper, actually sat on his lap the whole time). “I love watching fashion shows. It’s nice to be on the other side sometimes. You see the energy and feel the energy in a different way,” Huntington-Whitely said.
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The fashion show, which featured 30 never-before-seen pieces coming to Burberry’s L.A. flagship store, included soulful live performances by George Ezra, Tom O’Dell, Claire McGuire, and Benjamin Clementine. An impressive installation of a London skyline swung into place behind the performers and the runway models, who wore a crowd-pleasing array of prints, leather, and fringe and Naomi Campbell returned to the runway (with Corden quick to follow in the footsteps of her very high heels).
Victoria Beckham and her three sons watched moments like the changing of the guards, while Creative Director Christopher Bailey was swarmed by friends and fans including Mad Men stars January Jones and Kiernan Shipka. “Christopher’s voice brings an edge to Burberry,” said Jones. “There’s a very young, cool feeling to it.”
Waiters circulated with champagne and British bites including vegetarian shepherd’s pie, chicken-and-leek tarts, crab on cucumber, smoked salmon and caviar, and caramelized lemon tarts for dessert. “I’m starving, I’ll be fine with any food right now,” said a pregnant Jaime King. “I’d eat this purse if I could.”
At the end of the night, nearly every guest left wearing the signature Burberry plaid scarves that were placed on each seat at the show. “I would have to say this is definitely by far and away one of the most extraordinary experiences in L.A.,” Zoe said. “This is definitely breaking down barriers—I don’t know how you top this.”
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