The fashion brand Burberry is known for its iconic trench coat, squared pattern and natural color selection. Coming out of Britain, the fashion powerhouse has extended its manufacturing past the trench coat and now offers a large collection of fragrances and fashion accessories, such as scarves, shoes and belts.
While the famous trench coat that many associate with the Burberry brand was created by Burberry’s original found Thomas Burberry, the iconic pattern that tends to define the Burberry look came much later.
The Beginnings of Burberry
Thomas Burberry is the original founder of Burberry. He started the famous brand in 1856 after completing years as a draper’s apprentice. He started Burberry by opening a store in Hampshire, England, that focused primarily on outerwear.
Although a success, Thomas changed the way he created the outerwear jackets in 1880 by introducing gabardine to the clothing, which is a water-resistant and breathable fabric.
The Growth of Burberry
The popularity of Thomas’ designs grew and soon the name changed from Burberry to Burberrys, because of the many stores he managed to open in London, England and surrounding area.
It was the popularity of his functional outerwear that landed Thomas in a deal with the War Office to create the trench coat to suit contemporary warfare. The trench coat became a popular fashion item after the war and the iconic check design was created in the 1920s as a primary lining of these coats.
Modern Burberry
In 1955, Burberry went from an independent company to becoming a part of the Great Universal Stores (GUS). However, by 2002, the London Stock Exchange became the platform for Burberry Group plc’s floating and in 2005, GUS divested any interest in the company.
The modern Burberry brand is operated in CEO Angela Ahrendts, who took the position after long-time employed Rose Marie Bravo retired from the CEO position.
The Burberry Collection
The current Burberry selection is divided into several sections and accessories. These sections are indeed sub-brands of the Burberry family, including Burberry London, Burberry Brit, Burberry Prorsum, Burberry Sport and Thomas Burberry. The Burberry London is the primary brand of all the sub-brands.
In addition, the current line of Burberry fragrances continues to grow over time, adding fragrances under each of the sub-brands. Popular fragrances include Burberry Brit, Burberry London, Burberry Sport, Burberry The Beat and Burberry Brit Sheer Eau de Toilette.
The Burberry brand is known for its class and elegance. Its history shows a professional company with a trustful brand and a functional design. In addition, the Burberry brand is one of the less dramatic and chaotic fashion houses when comparing it to other powerhouses, such as Chanel and Gucci.
Malene Soegaard - Malene spends her life analyzing fashion and movies. She operates two print magazines and is a published author.
