How Burberry became Britain’s most important brand

Today all eyes will be on SW8 as Burberry unveils its Spring/Summer 2019 collection. This will be the first time Riccardo Tisci, the brand’s latest creative director, shows his own designs. Formerly at the helm of Paris-based Givenchy, it is his first official outing at his new tenure. While it is widely speculated as to what to expect as Burberry enters a new era (read here why we’re so excited about Tisci’s first show), we took it upon ourselves to give you a multitude of reasons as to why Burberry is, undoubtedly, the biggest and most important brand in the UK.

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1856 | Burberry is founded in Basingstoke by draper Thomas Burberry. His original focus was outdoor-ready attire, stuff that was favoured by Lord Kitchener and Lord Baden Powell.

1879 | Burberry creates gabardine.

1891 | Burberry opens its first store on Haymarket, London.

1901 | The Burberry Equestrian Knight logo is developed containing the Latin word “prorsum”, meaning forwards.

1911 | The company becomes the outfitters for Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole.

1914 | In the First World War, the Burberry trench is worn by British officers in the trenches. It was known as the “Tielocken” and featured a belt with no buttons and protected the body from head to toe.

1999 | “Burberry’s” becomes “Burberry”. The Burberry check becomes a symbol of conspicuous consumerism, in some instances to the brand’s detriment.

May 2001 | Yorkshire-born designer Christopher Bailey becomes creative director and is tasked with turning around the company’s dwindling fortunes.

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