HOW BURBERRY HAS BRANDED BRIT SOPHISTICATION FOR SIX GENERATIONS AND COUNTING

BY KARDIA YAZMYNE WILLIAMS

Arguably the most famous British luxury fashion house, at least in America, Burberry’s was founded in 1856 in Basingstoke, England by Thomas Burberry. Surprisingly, a label now synonymous with high fashion and luxury was focused on pure practicality when created. The founder’s focus was on outdoor attire, and he was the inventor of gabardine, a tough water resistant fabric that proved popular among 19th century explorers. The likewise water repelling Burberry’s trench coat was favored among military officers during World War I (lighter, shorter, and much more practical for trench mud and wetness than the old, heavy greatcoats), and its popularity quickly spread to civilians when hostilities ended. The now iconic check was introduced as a lining to brand rainwear in the 1920s, and in 1955, Queen Elizabeth II granted the expanding company a Royal Warrant as a “weather proofer.” By 1965, one in five coats exported from Britain was made in its Yorkshire factory (though Castleford is principally where its trenches and other coats are made today). Burberry’s U.S. breakthrough came in the 1970s, when the label began to broaden its horizons with the production of diverse ready towear lines for men, women, and children.

Aside from its famed check print, the brand, which dropped the “’s” in 1999 to become simply Burberry, is instantly recognizable for its “Equestrian Knight” logo. Depicting a medieval chevalier on horseback carrying a banner that reads “Prorsum” (“forward” in Latin), it has been an emblem of the company since 1901.

The Burberry trench has garnered a sweeping celebrity following, with the likes of Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson, and Madonna spotted wearing them, while Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, and Beyoncé have been seen sporting checked pieces. Even Queen Elizabeth has given the print her sartorial seal of approval; she’s been spotted several times wearing a check print silk scarf.

Among the house’s most forward thinking designs came in its fall/winter 2018 collection, which was inspired in part by LGBTQ culture. Conceived by then Creative Director, Christopher Bailey, it featured grunge inspired silhouettes boldly swathed in the Pride rainbow, with the check print even receiving a Pride flag makeover. Current Creative Director, Riccardo Tisci, has stated that he plans to continue the evolution, and has already modernized things by spearheading a collaboration between Burberry and Vivienne Westwood (which received rave reviews), as well as creating a new logo for the brand. e Resort 2020 collection, as Vogue aptly stated, reflected his drive for the maker to “to be all things to all people,” embracing “a spectrum of demographics.”

And the new line is vast indeed, including everything from horse blankets to military esque trouser suits, ponchos to trench coats, classic cashmere scarves to tuxedo jackets. And these are just highlights of the ladies segment and its crisp cuts, clean lines, and ample gorgeousness. For men, Tisci Taunted an affinity for luxury streetwear that he developed so well at Givenchy in oversize puffers, printed shorts and tracksuits, and sharp suiting…edgy, to be sure, but consistently applying the formatting restraint of English propriety.

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