BETTER TOGETHER

BURBERRY AUTUMN/WINTER 2021

In honoring Burberry’s iconic beige sets, Sneako, Emmie,Yesh and Demitre gathered around the table in Riccardo's Tisci’s latest Autumn/Winter collection, shot by photographer Alexander Cody Nguyen.

Discover the story, and our interview with Chef DeVonn Francis on what’s currently inspiring him from his kitchen to his wardrobe.

SHOP BURBERRY

Wholesale Replica Handbag : The words used to describe Burberry FW21 include ferocious, sensual, and naturalist. What kind of dish would you create that’s inspired by this creative direction?

DeVonn Francis: There are so many to choose from but I’d love to start at the end with dessert and make a key lime cake with torched meringue. Taking traditional ideas and adding a bit of fire to them makes me think of the collection, which for me is sensual but also playful.

TW: Which spice properties do you resonate with the most and why?

DF: My favorite spices are aromatic, earthy, and fiery. A lot of Jamaican food gives heat but is also grounding and comforting and I try to bring that energy into the meals I make.

TW: What are the three essentials for hosting a successful dinner?

DF: Knowing who and when to ask for help, having incredible music, and a guest list of people who don’t think the same or look the same.

SHOP BURBERRY

TW: Food and Fashion are both forms of expression. Name a food and a piece of clothing or accessory that make you feel your most self.

DF: Grilled red snapper over coconut rice reminds me of cooking with my family. A brass lighter that I inherited from my dad that has really subtle but beautiful inscriptions on it. It’s like having a little piece of home with you everywhere you go. These things make me feel like my most self and best self.

TW: What is your favorite smell?

DF: Right now I’m really into Linden. It blooms all over New York, and the trees have these really incredible flowers that sometimes hang upside down. That and this other tree called Fringe that has long white flowers. They’re both very fragrant and sexy smells!

TW: Burberry’s designer Riccardo Tisci was very inspired by the naturalist movement of the late 19th and 20th centuries for this collection. It was a time when instinct and whim were put above rationalism. Is there a time in your life when you reacted similarly to this movement?

DF: I feel most connected to the thought in Naturalism that you are, in a lot of ways, shaped by your environment and that there are just some things in life that you can’t control. There’s a certain level of freenness born out of that acceptance. I think it allows us to operate from a place of gratitude and levity versus trying to orchestrate every single detail of our lives.

TW: Share something unexpected about yourself.

DF: I play Magic The Gathering at least six times a day online. TW: Salty or Sweet. DF: Sweet over anything!

TW: What is it about Burberry as a brand that you appreciate?

DF: I love Burberry’s history. That the brand was born out of utility and problem-solving is fascinating. Fashion, much like the way I think about food, can be a tool to solve problems for a community, while also inspiring that community. People fall in love with what you make and you, in turn, get to keep delivering creative solutions to said community, which then becomes a family. As a young creative and business owner, I look to brands like Burberry for this very reason.