Clothing line established in the UK in 1856 by Thomas Burberry. Burberry invented gabardine fabric, and for many years the trench coat was the mainstay of the Burberry business:
The notoriously conservative manufacturer stuck primarily to its well-known raincoats until the 1960s, when a fluke led Burberry to capitalize on the garments’ trademark tan, black, red, and white plaid lining. It all started with a window display at the company’s Paris store. The shop’s manager spiced up her arrangement of trench coats by turning up the hem of one coat to show off its checked lining, then repeated the check on an array of umbrellas. The clamor for the umbrellas was so immediate and compelling that Burberry’s made and quickly sold hundreds.1
The rest, as they say, is history: today the famous Burberry check pattern adorns everything from umbrellas to cashmere scarves to dog leashes. In the meantime, the fashion business, under creative director Christopher Bailey, has been transformed: Burberry is now considered an upscale designer label.
Burberry’s fragrance business is currently licensed to Inter Parfums.
The first fragrance, Burberry for men, debuted in 1981. Other well-known early scents include Weekend and Touch (2000). Burberry Brit, introduced in 2003, was a huge success, and was followed by Brit Red, Brit Gold, Brit for men and Brit Anniversary Edition.
Recent fragrance releases from Burberry
Recent fragrance releases include Burberry London (2006), Burberry London for men (2006), Burberry Summer (2007), Burberry Brit Sheer (2007), Burberry The Beat (2008), Burberry London Special Edition (2008), The Beat For Men (2008), Burberry Sport for women, Burberry Sport for men (2010), Burberry Summer 2010 (2010).
Where to buy
Burberry fragrances can be found at major department stores, or online at the various fragrance discounters.
Website
Further reading
See all articles on Now Smell This tagged Burberry.
Read Christopher Bailey: Burberry’s golden boy at the UK Times Online.
1. Via International Directory of Company Histories.
