Ah, the pinnacle of British design and by far the highlight of the week, 4pm prompt brought the spectacle that was Burberry. And a spectacle it was. (Though, we’d gathered that on arrival, given the hoards of onlookers who’d flocked for glimpse of a famous face – and believe me, there were plenty of those.)

Reading like an encyclopaedia of good taste, the front row saw Rita Ora, Olivia Palermo, Michelle Dockery and Kate Beckinsdale, alongside long-standing Burberry girls, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Freida Pinto. A star-studded crowd, but how did the show compare?

As you can imagine, it was equally impressive. There was no rain like last year; instead, Christopher Bailey opted for something even more dramatic. A gospel choir and acoustic pianist. (Just your average Monday, right?) Appearing mid-show from behind huge doors, Bailey’s efforts in giving emerging artists a leg off proved mutually beneficial, as the live performance from Tom Odell made the show even more of a spectacle and filled the tent with emotion and heart-shaped affection.

Then for the clothes, and it was heart-shapes and leopard prints that shaded the show in animalia affection. Titled ‘Trench Kisses’, Burberry took a walk on the wild side for Fall, adding animal prints to their oh-so-British aesthetic. Underpinned by camel tones, this season took a more playful direction for a heritage brand, with the likes of laminated leathers, shiny gold belts, and that translucent pencil skirt that Cara modelled.

Giraffe-print trench coats were bold and loud, but because they’re Burberry, came across as a timeless classic. Elsewhere, there were leopard print knits and animal fur shoes, and oh- did we mention the trenches? Pushing the boundaries of the classic coat even further, gold metal adornments reinvented it for Fall, making up animal prints in 3-dimensional form, whilst others had translucent arms and metal eyelets.

We fell in love with the heart print pieces. Men’s shirts and girl’s slim fit skirts were scattered with love-hearts- all uniform and prim because that’s how Burberry functions – but adding a quirky twist to claret and camel classics.

Full of emotion and heart-shaped goosebumps, I wasn’t the only one who could have easily welled up.

Words: Alice Tate