IT’S THEIR STORY
THE STORY OF THE CENTURY.
RESEARCH ON BURBERRY'S PUBLIC IMAGE.
HISTORY
TIMELINE OF BURBERRY
1856
Thomas Burberry establishes Burberry at the age of 21 in Basingstoke. He founded the brand on the principle that clothing should be designed to protect people from the British Weather
1879
Thomas Burberry invents gabardine - the breathable, weatherproof and hardwearing fabric revolutionising rainwear – which up until then had typically been heavy and uncomfortable to wear
1891
Burberry moves into the first London store at 30 Haymarket.
1888
Burberry patents Gabardine.
1897
Explorer Major F.G. Jackson, famed for mapping parts of the Arctic Circle,
wears Burberry gabardine when undertaking an expedition
to Franz Josef Land.
1893
Norwegian polar explorer, zoologist and later recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Dr Fritjof Nansen was the first recorded polar explorer to take Burberry gabardine to the poles when he set sail bound for the Arctic Circle in 1893
1901
The company runs a public competition to design a new logo for the brand. The winning entry is inspired by 13th and 14th century armour on display at Wallace collection in London.Thus the Equestrian Knight logo appears for the first time accompanied by the Latin word 'Prorsum' meaning 'forwards'.
1904
Burberry has its first appearance in vogue featuring a waterproof raincoat , proving it’s style and usefulness
1908
Air commodore Edward Maitland wears Burberry gabardine to travel from crystal palace to Russia in a hot air balloon. Covering a distance of 1,117 miles in 31 ½ hours, he sets the world’s long-distance overseas record and the British long-distance in-flight record.
1909
Opening of the Burberry store in Paris at 8 Boulevard Malesherbes.
1910
Celebrated aviator Claude Grahame-White wears Burberry gabardine. He is the first person to fly between London and Manchester in less than 24 hours.
1911
Norwegian Explorer Roald Amundsen and his team became the first people to reach the South Pole with a Burberry gabardine tent and clothing.
1912
The Tielocken coat is patented. The predecessor to the trench coat, it proves popular among officers during WWI. The coat closes with a single strap and buckle fastening and only features a button at the collar.
1913
Burberry moves to a larger London premises in Haymarket, designed by the Architect Walter Cave.
1914-1918
THE FIRST WORLD WAR
Acclaimed British explorer sir Ernest Shackleton wears Burberry gabardine for three expeditions in the early 20th century, including the endurance expedition.
During the First World War, Burberry provided apparel and equipment to the Armed Forces. Designed for the military, each unmistakeable detail of the Burberry trench coat was introduced to serve a purpose.
The Burberry trench coat is invented during the First World War. The functional design includes epaulettes used to suspend military equipment such as gloves and whistles, D-rings used to carry grenades, the gun flap to provide additional protection when in action and the storm shield to allow water to run off it smoothly
1919
HM King George V officially appointed Burberry a Royal Warrant as Tailors.
Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown wore Burberry aviator suits to pilot their plane in an exposed cockpit, and complete the first non-stop transatlantic flight in 72 hours. Photo courtesy of Vickers.
1924
The Burberry check, the haymarket, now registered as a trademark, was introduced as a lining to the trench coat.
1920
Burberry became a publicly quoted company for the first time.
Burberry begins to sell their merchandises in japan.
1930
Burberry designs women’s ski costume. Burberry fabric and waterproof tweed are implemented as the main fabrics
1934
Burberry offers a same-day delivery in London in its own dedicated vehicle.
1937
Burberry sponsored a record breaking flight from Croydon to Cape Town in an aeroplane called 'The Burberry'. Both aviators Flying Officer Arthur Clouston and Betty Kirby-Green wore Burberry
1940'S
During the Second World War, Burberry supplied the British Army with a range of military apparel and accessories, including the trench coat. Burberry also catered for various other divisions of the British Armed Forces, including the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Royal Navy, the Royal Pioneer Corps, the Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU), and the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) - including the women’s division.
Despite the austere conditions posed by war, Burberry continued to make civilian clothing during the 1940's including weatherproofs, overcoats and suits for both men and women. The brand adapted the product category to war time to include women’s siren suits, which were designed to be worn in an air-raid.
1955
HM Queen Elizabeth II grants Burberry a Royal Warrant as a Weatherproofer.
Burberry was acquired by UK retailing group Great Universal Stores (GUS).
1957
All man’s campaign make a national debut
1960
accessories introduced
1964
Burberry was the official outerwear supplier for the British women’s Olympic team who participated in the Tokyo Olympics.
1965
One in five coats exported from Britain is a Burberry product.
1970
Flagship store of Burberry opens. in New York.
1972
Burberry formally acquires the factory in Castleford, the home of the Burberry trench coat, building on our manufacturing presence in the UK – a legacy that continues today.
1981
First fragrance introduced.
Fur lined trenches appear in vogue for the first time
1983
Prince Charles and Princess Diana are spotted in nova scotia wearing matching beige Burberry raincoats with black umbrellas
1990
Burberry is granted a Royal Warrant by HRH The Prince of Wales as an Outfitter.
1998
Burberry introduced ready to wear jwellery.
1999
Change of Company name from Burberry's to Burberry.
Burberry prorsum line Debuts at London fashion week
2000
Burberry opens the first store on Bond Street, London, reflecting the brand's status as an iconic, global luxury brand.
2002
Burberry is listed on the London Stock Exchange in July following an initial public offering.
2004
Burberry launches the first transactional website in the United States.
2005
Demerger from GUS plc is completed, the company’s former majority shareholder.
2006
The UK transactional website launches.
2008
Burberry forms a joint venture to establish Burberry Middle East (BME) headquartered in Dubai.
The Burberry Foundation launches, a philanthropic organisation dedicated to helping young people realise their dreams and potential through the power of their creativity. 1% of group profit before tax is donated to charitable causes, the majority to the Burberry Foundation.
2009
The Womenswear Spring/Summer 2010 runway show relocates to London from Milan, marking the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week. The show is live-streamed allowing consumers globally to share the full experience of a Burberry fashion show for the first time.
2010
Burberry is the first luxury brand to join the Ethical Trading Initiative.
Burberry forms a joint venture in India with Genesis Colors.
2012
2013
Opening of 121 Regent Street, London, our most digitally-advanced brand experience, bringing every aspect of burberry.com to life in a physical environment for the first time.
The Prorsum Menswear Spring/Summer 2014 show returns to London from Milan, showing as part of London Collections: Men.
2011
Burberry forms a joint venture in Saudi Arabia with Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair & Co, transferring five stores from franchise operation.
Burberry.com launched. It is now available in 44 countries, in 11 different languages and is optimised for iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices.
Moving away from a wholesale and licensed business model, retail becomes the primary route of distribution – increasing from 43% in 2005/2006 to 64% in 2010/2011.
Burberry launches the first ‘tweetwalk’ – premiering its spring/summer 2012 womenswear collection on twitter and posting each look live before it goes down the runway.
2015
Unification of the three Prorsum, London and Brit collections into one single Burberry label.
Opening of the Regent Street flagship store café, Thomas's.
2016
Burberry is recognised as industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in the ‘Textiles, Apparel and Luxury Goods’ sector.
Retail calendar changes from four runway shows to two, combining men's and women’s shows. The collections are available to purchase in stores and online immediately following the show.
2017
Burberry and the royal college of art (rca) announce the establishment of the burberry material futures research group, with the aim of applying radical thinking to invent new sustainable materials, transform consumer experience and advance manufacturing to benefit the industry and wider community.
2018
Burberry celebrates diversity and inclusivity with the Rainbow Vintage check throughout its February collection and makes donations to three leading organizations – the Albert Kennedy Trust, the Trevor Project and ILGA – all dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth around the world.
Riccardo Tisci appointed Chief Creative Officer for creating the Burberry monogram based on its heritage, so as to compete with brands like Louise Vuitton and Fendi
How history has helped Burberry develop its image?
Burberry is historic and has been standing on top of the fashion industry holding its head high since the 18th century. It has been innovative and has been changing itself from time to time. History has helped Burberry become iconic. From being serving in wars, to having been given the regard of the royal warrant, from developing war clothes to developing clothes for Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth, Burberry has been the British favourite. All of history has only made it more favourite to the Britishers and the world. All the above pin points in history have helped Burberry climb the ladder of success.