Burberry Winter '23 in L.A. is a steamy testament to the beauty of juxtaposition

LA Times
·2 min read
Burberry Gabardine faux fur trench coat, Aran wool blend dress, leather and shearling small Knight bag
Model Aker Ajak wears Burberry Gabardine faux fur trench coat, Aran wool blend dress, leather and shearling small Knight bag, shearling bag charm, check wool hot-water bottle, check stretch wool tights. (Bethany Vargas / For The Times)

Tradition is Burberry in the rain. And increasingly, the rain is, well, a thing in Los Angeles. There's nothing quite like a Burberry trench in the elements. It was engineered to be outside.

Clothing is armor no matter if you're in London or L.A. But what about when you are pulled out of the rain and into the warehouse? In this photo essay, photographer Bethany Vargas and stylist Keyla Marquez, with model Aker Ajak, decided to bring Burberry's Winter '23 collection indoors so the clothes could forge a new relationship with L.A.'s more industrial side. Fashion in the city, especially downtown, is about the production of clothes as much as it is about wearing them. (As noted by the chosen location of Burberry's slow motion campaign last year.) The effect was transformative: Under a roof, the collection became a steamy testament to the beauty of juxtaposition. The ideal Angeleno encounter with L.A. winter is experiencing it from indoors, cozy in a collection out of its natural habitat but thriving all the same. — The editors

Burberry check mohair wool blend turtleneck top, check wool skirt, shearling earmuffs, check stretch wool tights
Ajak wears Burberry check mohair wool blend turtleneck top, check wool skirt, shearling earmuffs, check stretch wool tights, satin, leather and shearling sandals.
A model in red-orange clothes leans on a bright green trash barrel.
A model in red-orange clothes leans on a bright green trash barrel.
A model in Burberry clothes looks orange thanks to the lighting.
(Bethany Vargas / For The Times)
Model Aker Ajak wears Burberry Gabardine faux fur trench coat, Aran wool blend dress, leather and shearling small Knight bag
Ajak wears Burberry Gabardine faux fur trench coat, Aran wool blend dress, leather and shearling small Knight bag, shearling bag charm, check wool hot-water bottle, check stretch wool tights, leather saddle tall boots (Bethany Vargas / For The Times)
A fashion model stands in an unfinished building, wearing a dark coat
A fashion model stands in an unfinished building, wearing a dark coat
Model in Burberry wool dress, leather trench tote, faux fur hot-water bottle, check stretch wool tights, Hollow earrings
Ajak wears Burberry wool dress, leather large trench tote, faux fur hot-water bottle, check stretch wool tights, Hollow earrings, suede and shearling Creeper shoes.
Model wears a yellow coat
Model wears a yellow coat
Sepia-toned photo of a model in a trench coat in front of a vat that appears to be steaming
Sepia-toned photo of a model in a trench coat in front of a vat that appears to be steaming
Model in a yellow trench coat
(Bethany Vargas / For The Times)

Model: Aker Ajak, Bounty Models

Makeup: Matthew Fishman

Hair: Tanya “Nena” Melendez

Styling assistant: Dani Jane

Location: SCS Warehouse

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.