Milan - Hot rock chick glam was the leit motif of this spring summer 2008 collection, more fertile ground traditionally for Ford than Burberry's Christopher Bailey, a designer whose richest vein of inspiration is clever takes on British iconography.

Instead of Bailey's ingenious innovations we got in-your-face neoprene raincoats in eye blinkingly bright hues of turquoise and pink, accessorized with enough studded, starred and faux jeweled belts to keep the arm candy of a Gulf of Mexico oil engineer happy.

Things began cautiously - naturally enough seeing the soundtrack was the greatest rock anthem of all time, for the uninitiated that's Deep Purple's Sweet Child in Time. Agyness Deyn, the blond Mancunian last seen sporting orange hair at Gilles Deacon, opened, with black locks this time, in a lilac rouched chiffon trench.

One had to admire the American Football style articulated shoulders that finished one great trench and a splendid coat dress. And the few guys' looks, especially the micro, double-breasted gray dandy suit, were very cool Burberry.

However, the whole show went seriously off the rails, as soon as the opening track finished, with frankly crass purple cocktails and scary quantities of belts.

As Pete Townsend crooned, I Put a Spell on You, one could only wonder who had bewitched Christopher, so strained did the collection look. Even allowing for the fact that this designer cut his designer teeth at Gucci, this was Bailey's worst at bat for Burberry in eons.