In 1856 Thomas Burberry establishes Burberry in Basingstoke at just 21 years old, founded on the principle that clothing should be designed to protect people from the British weather and in 1879 the gabardine is invented - a breathable, weatherproof and hardwearing fabric that revolutionized rainwear, an opposite to the heavy and uncomfortable fabrics of that time. In 1888 the Gabardine was patented and since then it literally conquered the world. In 1893 the Norwegian explorer, zoologist Dr Fridtjof Nansen set sail bound for the artic pole with the iconic Burberry Gabardine, in 1908 air commodore Edward Maitland set the world´s long distance overseas record and the british long distance in-flight record on a hot air baloon, all this wearing the the Burberry Gabardine and in 1914 the acclaimed British explorer took the Gabardine in three expeditions including the famous endurance expedition. In 1912 the world meets the Tielocken coat, another creation of Thomas Burberry, considered the predecessor to the trench coat as it closes with a single strap and buckle fastening. In 1917 the Burberry trench coat is invented during the First World War. The functional design includes epaulettes used to suspend military equipment such as gloves and whistles, D-rings used to carry grenades, the gun flap to provide additional protection when in action and the storm shield to allow water to run off it smoothly. By 1920 the Burberry check, now registered as a trademark, is introduced as a lining to our rainwear and in 55 Queen Elizabeth II granted Burberry with the royal warrant of weatherproofer and this took the brand to a stratospheric level, at that time one in five coats exported from Britain was a Burberry. This allowed Burberry to acquire the factory that produced their trench coat, a factory in Castleford, a legacy that continues today. in 2000 Burberry opens its first store on Bond street and with Christopher Bailey as design director the brand becomes a public quoted company on the London stock exchange. Despite its legacy, history and traditional character, Burberry brokw many modern barriers like the first brand to livestream a fashion show, or the first brand to make runway collections available to consumers for purchase immediately after the show. Today Burberry chief creative officer is Riccardo Tisci and despite maintaining its core values and traditional symbols, Burberry is a forward thinking brand that surprises and breaks boundaries every season. Burberry eyewear collection features classic shapes with that inventive twist, a totally inventive out of the box approach, made in Italy using only the finest materials.
