The British fashion house was founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry by opening a store when he was just 21 years old. Despite his young age, Thomas had plenty of experience in fabrics, as he had worked as an apprentice textile merchant.
Focusing on the manufacture of outdoor items and being dissatisfied by the material they were made of, heavy waterproof clothing, Thomas invented a new material called gabardine. This fabric is made of nylon and light cotton, waterproof and, at the same time, allows the air to circulate.
In just a few years, the shop customers had called the gabardine coat “Burberry’s”.
35 years after opening the first store in Basingstoke, Thomas launches a new store in London on Haymarket Street, which became a very successful business in the early 1900’s.
The logo we well know, the equestrian knight, containing the Latin term Prorsum (forward), becomes a registered trademark in 1901.
And as the slogan was meant for prestige, the company becomes extremely known after it was asked to dress up some aviators, hot air balloon travelers, explorers and climbers. We can mention here the explorer Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole in 1911 , Ernest Shacleton who led an expedition to Antarctica in 1914, and climber George Mallroy, who tried to climb Everest in 1924. Even golfers, horse riders and skiers wore Burberry items.
The famous trench coat appears during the First World War and becomes the symbol of the British company. In 1914, the War Office hired the company to provide coats for officers, but they were adapted to fighting conditions and so the trench coat was born. It had straps for the epaulettes on the shoulders, loops where grenades are clung and D-shaped rings. During the entire war period over 500,000 Burberry clothes were worn.
After the First World War, the soldiers continued to wear the trench coat, so it has been adapted for civilians, therefore the famous checkered pattern appeared.
In 1920, Burberry registered the plaid imprint (red – white – black) which was introduced in the coats lining. The British company currently has 5 types of plaid: Haymarket, House, Nova, Supernova and Exploded.
In the 60’s the famous print was already on umbrellas, scarves and luggage, becoming the most sold Burberry products. By the 70’s the fashion house entered the pret-a-porter segment. In the 90’s, Rose Marie Bravo, the brand’s new CEO, manages to position the British company in line with prestigious luxury fashion houses like Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
In 1998 the high-end line Burberry Prorsum was launched. And as time never stands still and provides transformation, Christopher Bailey, the new creative director, brings Burberry on the favorite position at the Fashion Week.
Today the famous trench coat is made of leather, coated cotton and neoprene, well, a natural process given that you have to keep up with the fashion vibe and the trends.
This is what a successful brand means, a brand that has managed to faithfully follow the slogan: just ahead! Burberry is not just a fashion company, for the United Kingdom represents a symbol and for the fashion industry is a pioneer brand!
You can find the Burberry store in Bucharest on Lutheran Street 4.
ZADIN
Trench coat-ul Miroslavei Duma este pur şi simplu o operă de artă, cum de altfel este şi haina aceasta: http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2481810/sarah-jessica-parker-burberry-prorsum-fashion-show-04/fullsize/, de care m-am îndrăgostit din prima clipă în care am văzut-o.
Carmen Negoiță
Asa este Zadin. Ador cum se imbraca Miroslava. Iar de hainele de la Burberry nu mai zic. Trench-urile lor mi se par un must have si nu se vor demoda niciodata.