>> Spring 2010 brings a number of firsts for Burberry: the first time Christopher Bailey has shown under the label in London instead of Milan and the first time the show was streamed live on the Internet — the video can be seen here.  It was a big bash for the likes of London — a guest list of 1,500 and a tent venue erected on the grounds of the Chelsea College of Art & Design — bringing front row faces like Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham, Mary-Kate Olsen, brand face Emma Watson, plus Mario Testino, Jacquetta Wheeler, Bruce Weber, and Agyness Deyn.

When the show was ready to start this evening, the venue — with Burberry check-embossed walls — went dark, and the Burberry logo lit up the runway until the stream of models, wearing pale-colored or metallic knotted, draped, and twisted variations on the classic trench and miniskirt, commenced.  A few furs were even thrown in, despite the Spring season. At the end, in celebration of the quintessential British brand's return to home turf, a rain of silver confetti streamed down.

>> New York Mayor Bloomberg declared yesterday "Burberry Day," in honor of the lighting of the brand's logo atop its new US headquarters — watch a video of it going down here — and the weather complied with rain, appropriate for a brand known for their trench coats. "I was worried about the drizzle before, but now I love it," said Christopher Bailey, in town to celebrate. "It's all very English."

Christopher arrived to the unveiling last night with Lily Donaldson on his arm, who grinned and gushed about being "a Burberry girl" and "part of the [Burberry] family."  He went on to explain what an honor it it is to have the Burberry logo lit in the first place: "It's one of only six grandfathered buildings in New York where you can do that, so it's a big deal for us to be able to affect the iconic Manhattan skyline, which I love."

The excitement seems to have made him chatty — he covered a range of topics, from admitting that he dyed his hair blue once to discussing advertising fees — like Mario Testino's, which runs $140,000 a day: "You’re buying talent. And I think talent never goes away with the changing economy, and talent is something we all need to keep nurturing."

Models (Hilary Rhoda, Helena Christensen) mingled with editors (Kate Lanphear, who apparently has dyed her hair black underneath, Amy Astley, Cecilia Dean) and it girls (Byrdie Bell, Alexa Chung, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Harley Viera-Newton), and the mix left at least one girl confiding that she didn't recognize Blake Lively — Lily Donaldson, who admitted: "I don't watch Gossip Girl. But you can't blame me. I don't even own a TV at the moment!"

The celebration seemed a success, except for skimping in one area.  An alcohol shortage kicked in around 9:30 pm, leaving one guest unhappy: "That's the driest party I've ever been to."  Same goes for Harley, Leigh Lezark, and Derek Blasberg, The Cut tweeted: "The party has run out of glasses, and the trio is displeased."

>> Blondies Anna Maria Jagodzinska and Toni Garrn may top out on the most-campaigns-for-Spring-2009 list, but it's a brunette who's using her It Brit appeal to score a few campaigns of her own.  Daisy Lowe's ad currency has increased this season from Agent Provocateur and Doc Martens to include a pose in romper for DKNY Jeans, a roll in the bedsheets for Marc by Marc Jacobs — Marc thinks she's "adorable" — and a portrait in black and white for Pringle of Scotland.  Maybe if she's lucky she'll catch Christopher Bailey's eye for next season — mainline Burberry is a coveted British model-only campaign, after all.
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>> You know Burberry is worried when their Spring 2009 campaign comes out looking like a catalogue.  Mario Testino did the honors at Petersham Nurseries outside London, and Christopher Bailey carried on his all-British cast tradition with returner Lily Donaldson and newcomers Eden Clarke and Alexina Graham, but gone are the days of Fall 2008's moody black-and-white ads and Spring 2008's edgy, colorful group shots.  These new Spring 2009 ads seem aimed much more for the mainstream, with their prominent placement of denim, the top-selling trenches, and the new, trademark plaid-covered Gardener Bag.  Everyone's going for the money shot this season — and with Burberry, those intentions are quite transparent.
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>> After missing out on the Chanel Mobile Art opening and the Versace-hosted Whitney gala earlier this week, Anna Wintour was back in fine form — with Karl Lagerfeld at her side and Chanel on her person — at the Fashion Group International's Night of Stars last night.  It was a night of family — Donatella Versace picked up the Superstar Award as Allegra Beck Versace looked on, Franca Sozzani was honored with her son Francesco Carrozzini in attendance — and friends — honorees Christopher Bailey and Francisco Costa brought Kate Bosworth and Ashley Olsen, respectively.  Host Simon Doonan kept it light, at one point joking that Carla Sozzani had to make it back to the Marriott Marquis in time for a speed-dating session.
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