Riccardo Tisci Brings Vivienne Westwood to Burberry for a Collaboration

In an age when collaborations are a dime a dozen, this one might be one of the most unexpected and exciting: Vivienne Westwood is collaborating with Burberry. The fact that the grande dame of British punk is teaming with one of the country’s most iconic heritage brands might seem unlikely at first, but there’s a new guy in charge: chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci. Tisci, who studied at Central Saint Martins in the ’90s, claims Westwood’s illustrious creations as one of the main reasons he pursued fashion design.

“Vivienne Westwood was one of the first designers who made me dream to become a designer myself, and when I first started at Burberry, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to approach her to do something,” said Tisci in a release. “She is a rebel, a punk, and unrivaled in her unique representation of British style, which has inspired so many of us. I am so incredibly proud of what we will be creating together.”

On Instagram, Tisci continued to praise Westwood’s influence, calling her the “most unique champion of British style.” Naturally, his famous friends and followers have taken to the comments section to celebrate the announcement. Naomi Campbell commented, “This is a collab, yes!”

Burberry’s Westwood collaboration will arrive in stores in December 2018, three months after Tisci makes his Burberry debut at London Fashion Week this September. Westwood’s husband and longtime collaborator, Andreas Kronthaler, who now designs the main Vivienne Westwood collection, will be involved in the design of the Burberry pieces, as well. In keeping with Westwood’s environmentalism, a portion of the profits from the collaboration will benefit Cool Earth, a charity focused on saving the rainforests.

With the big reveal of what a Tisci x Westwood for Burberry piece will look like many months away, there’s a lot of time for speculation. Some things the designers agree upon: subversive corsetry, signature tartans—Westwood has her own plaid trademarked in the official Scottish registry, as does Burberry—and high-drama runway shows.