Burberry was founded in 1856 when 21-year-old Thomas Burberry, a former draper's apprentice, opened his own store in Hampshire, England. By 1870 the business had established itself by focusing on the development of outdoors attire. In 1880 Thomas Burberry invented a hardwearing, water-resistant, breathable fabric named gabardine (patented in 1888). In 1891 Burberry opened an emporium in the Haymarket, London, which still stands today and is the site of Burberry's corporate headquarters. In 1904, the Burberry Equestrian Knight Logo was developed containing the Latin word "Prorsum" meaning forwards and registered as a trademark. In 1911 they also became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who lead a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica.
In 1914 Burberry was appointed by the War Office to adapt its officer's coat, the result was the modern day "trench coat" that became after the war, popular with civilians. The iconic Burberry check was created in the 1920's and used as a lining in its trench coats. Over the years, it has been popularized by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. In 1967 the Burberry Check, now a registered trademark, was widely used on its own for items including umbrellas, scarves and luggage.
Christopher Bailey is now Design Director of the largest British luxury brand. Born in 1971, Bailey graduated from the BA Fashion Design course at The University of Westminster in 1990, before going on to attend London's Royal College of Art, he graduated with a Masters in Fashion in 1994. Moved to New York and worked for designer Donna Karan before becoming Senior Designer for Gucci womenswear in 1996. Christopher Bailey was awarded British Fashion Designer of the Year in 2005. Since his arrival at the label, Burberry has earned a record $167 million in profits Labels: Top Designers
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