PAPER CHASE: Burberry is leaning deeper into its British heritage, and partnering for the first time with Smythson on a collection of leather notebooks, games and small accessories that combine signature Burberry designs with Smythson’s leather craftsmanship and traditional bookbinding techniques.
Notebook covers feature weather-themed illustrations and British phrases inspired by Burberry’s background in weather-resistant outerwear, exploration and the outdoors. They are embossed with sayings such as “Lovely weather for ducks,” “Come rain or shine,” and “Rain check.”
The Burberry x Smythson notebooks are filled with Smythson’s signature blue lightweight paper, while the opening and closing pages feature a London map print inspired by the fall 2026 Burberry runway collection, or the house check. The notebooks are handmade in Smythson’s bookbinding workshop in Hertfordshire, England.
The collaboration also includes a selection of games, including playing cards and roll-up chess and backgammon boards. They are made from Smythson’s signature Panama cross-grain leather and have zip-pocket compartments lined in Burberry’s house check.
Playing cards are gilt-edged and illustrated and come in leather travel cases, while the double-pack edition includes Smythson’s signature “wafer pencil” and a paper notepad for keeping score.
The collection launches Thursday, and is selling across both brands’ stores and websites, with prices ranging from 210 pounds for the notebooks to 850 pounds for the roll-up chessboard. There is a complimentary personalization service, and each piece can be gold-stamped with up to three initials.
The collaboration comes as both brands mark big anniversaries. Burberry is celebrating its 170 years in business this year, while Smythson turns 140 next year. Smythson was established in 1887 on New Bond Street in London.
It was commissioned to produce stationery for Queen Victoria’s residences in the 1890s, and is known for making the world’s first portable diary in 1908. Like Burberry, it also has a heritage in exploration, having created bespoke diaries and logbooks for the Transglobe Expedition led by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Charles R. Burton and Oliver Shepard in the 1970s.