Exclusive: Burro is back

2009 witnesses the rebirth of Burro, the quietly era-defining British label which brought clean lines and a non-conformist vision to menswear in the 90s.

Championed by the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Burro started life with the success of the No Alla Violenza t-shirt produced by brothers Tim and Olaf Parker and Olaf’s wife Su to celebrate the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

As detailed in Chapter 30 of THE LOOK, this received coverage in The Face and elsewhere. Spurred on by this success, the trio created Burro and within a few years were operating stores in Covent Garden and Tokyo.

//Burro’s early 90s shirt range//

With commissions from Paul Weller and clothing featured in such promos as Pulp’s Disco 2000, Burro retained a stoically independent air which fused the DIY punk ethic with British traditionalism.

Music was always an integral part of the mix; avid DJs, the Burro team even branched into record releasing with the excellent Beatsperiments compilation.

As with all great labels, the devil was in Burro’s detail; the lime green of the company’s y-fronts, the buttons on their flat-fronted raincoats inscribed with a tiny safety pin and the phrase “play loud”.

Other Burro favourites include the collaboration with Sergio Tacchini, the leather slip-ons supplied by Tricker’s and an obliquely gaudy range which pushed knitwear and fabric innovation, including heavy Tonik-style jeans and flower-patterned shirts.

One particular line proved provocative to the post-Britpop generation; with a nod to Johnny Rotten’s anti-rock establishment “I Hate Pink Floyd” shirt of 1975, Burro produced a Beatles tee with “I HATE…” scrawled above the Fab Four in 2001. Satisfyingly, this prompted angry letters from rockists to Mojo magazine.

//Burro Vs Boxfresh A/W 09//

In the mid-Noughties the partners put Burro on ice, with Tim heading off to work with such clients as Marrimekko and Olaf teaching and advising at the BBC.

//Burro Vs Boxfresh A/W 09. Photo: Ivan Jones//

Now THE LOOK can exclusively reveal that Burro is back. The original designers for Boxfresh when it launched in 1989, Olaf and Su have returned with a brilliant collection for A/W 09 called Burro Vs Boxfresh, as part of the latter company’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

“We’ve always had an affinity with Boxfresh so see this as completing unfinished business,” says Su, who adds that the collection takes traditional tailoring fabrics and details and fuses them with streetwear style.

//Burro Vs Boxfresh A/W 09. Photo: Ivan Jones//

And that’s not all; there are plans in the pipeline for a dedicated Burro capsule range for later this year. Meanwhile THE LOOK can reveal we are currently investigating a special Burro collaboration of our own.

It’s a pleasure to be welcoming back these talented individuals who bring a coolly self-deprecating yet utterly confident and English approach to menswear.

We’ve missed you!