The History of Burberry

One can't help but wonder what plans 21 year old Thomas
Burberry had when he opened his first shop in Hampshire,
England way back in 1856. Could he have imagined that, more
than a century and a half later, his name would be known
all over the world?

Burberry's business soon made a name for itself in outdoors
clothing. His 1880 invention called "gabardine" was a
waterproof, yet breathable fabric. It was soon used in a
number of outdoor outfits, like fishing attire, perfect for
the wet English climate. Gabardine was finally patented in
1888.

The success of gabardine gave Burberry the weight he needed
to open a shop in London itself in 1891. This remains
today, and is actually the site of Burberry's corporate
headquarters. An interesting fact is that the company
actually started using the name "Burberrys" during this
period. Older Burberry products and advertisements still
carry this name.

In 1895 Burberry developed a coat called the "Tielocken",
considered an early version of the well known trench coat.

As a new century dawned, man took up new challenges. One of
these was Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton's
expeditions to Antarctica in 1911 and 1914 respectively.
Burberry had the honor of being the official outfitters for
these missions, which both met with success despite many
hardships.

From 1914 onwards Burberry was often commissioned by the
military to improve and adapt its coats for the various
situations.

In 1955 another honor was bestowed on Burberry's when Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded them the Royal Warrant.
A second Royal Warrant followed in 1989, this time granted
by his His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

The 1970s to early 1990s proved an unfortunate period for
Burberry as the brand became a staple of the British
football cult. The company itself had to admit that the
brand had become synonymous with thugs and hooligans.

Revitalized in the late 1990s by new CEO Rose Marie Bravo,
particularly through the signing of model Kate Moss and
Gucci designer Christopher Bailey, Burberry re-established
itself as a well recognized international luxury fashion
brand. Burberry has continued to find itself in
controversial situations. In 2006 they were made the focus
of a PETA campaign due to the continued use of animal fur
in their clothing line. The closure of their Treorchy
factory in 2007 with over 350 jobs being moved to Hong Kong
and Mainland China also sparked Global protests. The
company currently has boutiques in New York, Beverly
Hills, Boston, Short Hills, NJ, Bal Harbour, San Francisco,
Honolulu,Costa Mesa, Dallas, and Palm Beach.


About the Author:

From Outdoor Clothing to High Fashion,Burberry has
survivied it's ups and downs. Read the History of Burberry
and then visit the Largest Online Replica Designer Handbag
Site at http://www.laboutique.com.ph