Burberry and SSENSE present Imaginary Cities, Ch. II at Burberry Michigan Avenue in Chicago, the latest chapter of an ongoing collaboration between the global technology platform and luxury house. A reimagination of the traditional retail partnership, Imaginary Cities, Ch. II is a limited-time only takeover by SSENSE of Burberry’s Michigan Avenue store exploring the connections between ecology and urbanism.
First launched at Burberry Soho in New York City in June 2021, the inaugural edition of Imaginary Cities saw Burberry and SSENSE unite in their shared approach to digital and physical innovation, pushing boundaries to conceptualise a first of its kind offline and online multidisciplinary experience. In a continuation of this partnership, Imaginary Cities, Ch. II is a site-specific project that investigates the radical changes in contemporary landscapes, tests the definition of a city and imagines a future metropolis harmonised by the natural world.
Burberry Michigan Avenue is transformed into a multistoried experience featuring commissioned works by digital artist Oscar Zabala which seek to explore commonalities in both natural and industrial patterns, intertwining micro- and macro-level views of each vernacular. A product of vast data sets merged through a bespoke AI program, these real-time morphing tableaus react to their audio counterpart composed by musician Alexander Mackay. These concepts collide further with an audio room featuring sounds from natural environments, a series of generative artworks and projections of cityscapes to introduce the new Burberry outerwear collection – inspired by nature, the sky and constellations.
The Burberry outerwear collection features technical pieces designed to navigate a variety of adventures from outdoor discovery to explorations in the city. Night Check – the latest iteration of Burberry’s signature pattern – nods to the brand’s love of the natural world by mirroring the night sky with bright white stars nestled in a blanket of dark charcoal blue. The seasonal colourway animates puffer jackets and tactile fleeces, as well as shirts and knitwear. Lightweight technical styles include colour-block nylon jackets in contrasting colours of optic white and dark charcoal blue, as well as an oversized parka highlighted in Horseferry print. The iconic trench coat is refreshed in bespoke gabardine, and House Check is also reinterpreted in a three-dimensional pattern on quilted outerwear styles.
