Early years, 19th century
Burberry was founded in 1856 when
21-year-old Thomas Burberry, a former draper's apprentice,
opened his own store in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. By
1870, the business had established itself by focusing on the
development of outdoors attire. In 1880, Burberry invented
gabardine, a hardwearing, water-resistant yet breathable
fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving.
The Gabardine was patented in 1888. Burberry was the
original name, but then the company soon switched to using
the name Burberrys, after many customers from around the
world began calling it Burberrys of London. This name is
still visible on many older Burberry products. 1908
Burberry's advertisement In 1891, Burberry opened a shop in
the Haymarket, London, which still exists and until recently
was the site of Burberry’s corporate headquarters. Now the
headquarters are at Horseferry House just behind Houses of
Parliament, Westminster (London).
20th century
In 1901, the Burberry Equestrian
Knight Logo was developed containing the Latin word
"Prorsum", meaning forwards, and registered as a trademark.
In 1911 they became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen,the
first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton,
who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica. A Burberry
gabardine jacket was worn by George Mallory on his ill-fated
attempt on Mount Everest in 1924. In 1914 Burberry was
commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer's coat
to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in
the "trench coat". After the war, the trench coat became
popular with civilians. The iconic Burberry check was
created in the 1920s and used as a lining in its trench
coats. Burberry also specially designed aviation garments.
A. E. Clouston and Mrs Betsy Kirby Green made the fastest
flying time to Cape Town from London in 1937 and were
sponsored by Burberry. Recent history
Burberry was an independent company
until 1955, when it was taken over by Great Universal Stores
(GUS). Burberry Group plc was initially floated on the
London Stock Exchange in July 2002. GUS divested its
remaining interest in Burberry in December 2005. In 2006
Rose Marie Bravo, who as Chief Executive had led Burberry to
mass market success, retired. She was replaced by current
CEO Angela Ahrendts. Burberry store (red brick building) in
the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. A ladies'
Burberry handbag in the company's trademarked check pattern
Burberry currently have over 70 shops worldwide. |
