Burberry history

After serving his apprenticeship at a local draper's shop, Burberry opened his own small clothing outfitters in Basingstoke in 1857.

In 1880 his innovative research and design resulted in a breathable, weatherproof and tear-proof fabric called Gabardine.

Gabardine was then patented in 1888.

With a London store opening on Haymarket in 1890 (it remains the company headquarters to this day), the company grew to include a wholesale division and shops in Paris and New York by the turn of the century.

In 1891, the company move into its first London shop.

Burberry develops a weatherproof coat called the 'Tielocken', the predecessor of the iconic trench coat in 1895.

The British War Office in 1900 commissioned Burberry to design an overcoat to replace the heavily rubberized mackintoshes that were then standard issue.

1909: The firm registers the "Equestrian Knight" trademark.

Captain Roald Amundsen, Captain R. F. Scott, and Sir Ernest Shackleton wore Burberry clothing and took shelter in Burberry tents on their expeditions to the South Pole in the 1910s.

Endorsement was given at the beginning of the century by both Roald Amundsen, on his expedition to the South Pole, who wrote from Hobart on 18 March 1912: "Heartiest thanks.

First worn by high-ranking generals during the turn of the century Boer War in South Africa, the Burberry coat was soon adopted as standard issue for all British officers. It exported its first shipment of raincoats to Japan in 1915.

In 1920, the Paris store was reopened and renovated.

The 1921 census which gives details of almost 38 million individuals is now available on Findmypast.

In 1926, advertisement in the British Daily News revealed that Burberry Greatcoats were made regulation for officers from the King's household and the guards.

The Burberry campaign for summer 1935 was launched in The Tatler.

1938 was the launch of the Burberry outerwear advertising campaign.

In 1947, Burberry menswear trench coat was introduced.

1966: The firm becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Great Universal Stores.

In 1970, Burberry opened a New York flagship store on east Fifty-Seventh Street.

Brady, James, "Going Back to the Trenches," in the New York Post,10 October 1978.

The Story of the Trenchcoat, London: Burberry of London, 1993.

1994: The company begins using well-known model Christy Turlington in its ad campaigns.

By 1996, Burberry had accumulated a record six Queen’s Awards for Export Achievement and ranked among Great Britain’s leading clothing exporters.

In 1997, Rose Marie Bravo was elected CEO of Burberry.

Goldstein, Lauren, "Dressing Up an Old Brand," in Fortune, 9 November 1998.

The Autumn/Winter 1999 Campaign featured model Kate Moss.

Menkes, Suzy, "Durable Chic: A Century of the Trench," in the International Herald Tribune, 4 April 2000.

Kapner, Suzanne, "Suddenly Less Plaid is More for Burberry's Chief," in the New York Times, 24 June 2001.

Parent company Great Universal Stores was planning a public offering of Burberrys shares sometime in 2002, and continued an aggressive expansion to increase its presence in France, Italy, and the United States.

2004 The Autumn/Winter 2004 Campaign featured model Lily Donaldson.

2005 The Autumn/Winter 2005 Campaign featured model Kate Moss.

2006 The Spring/Summer 2006 Campaign featured model Gemma Ward.

2007 The Spring/Summer 2007 Campaign featured models Georgia Frost, Stella Tenant, Kate Moss and Lily Donaldson.

2008 The Spring/Summer 2008 Campaign featured actor Eddie Redmayne and models Jack Bevan, Alex Pettyfer, Laura Fraser, Agyness Deyn, Merlin Ferry, Will Cameron, Martin Tomlinson, Edie Campbell, Lily Donaldson, Liam Wade, Coco Sumner and Josh Beech.

2009 The Spring/Summer 2009 Campaign featured musician George Craig, Sam Beeton and model Lily Donaldson.

2010 The Spring/Summer 2010 Campaign featured singer George Craig and actress Emma Watson.

2011 The Spring/Summer 2011 Campaign featured models Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, Tara Ferry, Tali Lennox, Sacha M'Baye and Jacob Young, musicians Karen Anne and Johnny Flynn, actress Sophie Kennedy-Clark and actor Matthew Beard.

2012 The Spring/Summer 2012 Campaign featured actor Eddie Redmayne and model Cara Delevingne whereas the Autumn/Winter 2012 Campaign featured musician Roo Panes and actress Gabriella Wilde.

2013 The Spring/Summer 2013 Campaign featured 10-year-old Romeo Beckham with models Edie Campbell, Cara Delevingne, Charlotte Wiggins, Alex Dunstan, Charlie France and Max Rendell.