I recently had the pleasure of viewing Burberry's Olympia collection, which perfectly embodies the theme of reflecting on the past while planning for the future. The bags in the collection manage to seamlessly blend ancient history with modern innovation, resulting in a truly stunning display. The design of the bags is clearly inspired by Ancient Greece, and the pop-up display at Harrods transports shoppers to what feels like a celestial domain. Throughout the display, there are several foam statues of the goddess Elpis, further adding to the other-worldly tone of the collection. It's clear that Burberry's COO, Riccardo Tisci, was passionate about sharing the exquisite history of the bag's creation, which is evident in every aspect of the design. Overall, this collection truly looks like a gift from the gods themselves.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the London pop up and I must say, the arrangement was excellent. I had the privilege of being personally escorted by a Burberry sales assistant who gave me thorough and detailed information about the collection of new accessories. The collection features three different sizes, the Medium, the Small, and the Mini. The Small and ‘TB’ Olympia’s caught my eye first, and they are available in sand and sea blue colours. I also noticed that the Small and Mini bags come in limited edition embossed leather. The structure of the Olympia bag is elegant, graceful, mysterious and strong, all words that can be used to describe the collection’s inspiration: Goddess Elpis and the female form. I was impressed by the structural details of the bags and the colour range, which was created to emphasise fantasy. The sand and marine blue shades transport shoppers to exotic beaches, and the bags themselves give wearers feelings of escapism and power as they are carried alongside us throughout daily life. Every Olympia bag speaks volumes without making a sound - graceful and subtle, but mighty.
One feature that stood out to me was the use of AR. I was able to scan the pop-up’s QR code and see Elpis virtually alongside the bags, which made the luxury experience even more unique. Burberry’s Olympia bags are a reminder of the resilience of humanity, which has been more than proven over the past year. We are all mortal, but these bags make us feel a little magnificent (if I do say so myself).
