Brand ·

BURBERRY

BURBERRY — British Heritage, the Trench Coat and the Art of Modern Luxury

Few fashion houses have translated the practical requirements of weather, travel and outdoor life into a language of luxury as successfully as Burberry. Founded in England in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, the house began with a deceptively simple idea: clothing should protect people from the elements while allowing them to move comfortably through everyday life. More than a century and a half later, that philosophy remains visible in the garment most closely associated with the name — the Burberry trench coat.

Burberry's story is therefore not simply one of British fashion, but of textile innovation, functional design and the gradual transformation of useful clothing into cultural icons. From the invention of gabardine to the unmistakable Burberry Check, the house has repeatedly taken practical ideas and given them an unmistakable identity, creating a wardrobe vocabulary that continues to evolve with London itself.

A House Built Around Innovation

Thomas Burberry opened his first shop in Basingstoke, Hampshire, in 1856 when he was only 21 years old. His early work centred on clothing and fabrics suited to the British countryside, where protection from rain and changing weather was essential.

In 1879, Burberry introduced gabardine, a tightly woven fabric designed to be lightweight, breathable and resistant to the elements. The innovation became fundamental to the house's outerwear and ultimately provided the technical foundation for the trench coat. Gabardine demonstrated something that would remain central to Burberry: function and elegance did not have to exist separately.

That philosophy gave the young British company an unusual position in fashion. Burberry was not creating clothing simply for appearance; it was developing textiles and garments intended to perform, and that performance would eventually become part of the brand's aesthetic.

The Trench Coat Becomes an Icon

The trench coat is the cornerstone of Burberry's visual identity. During the First World War, the coat was developed for military use, with details such as epaulettes, D-rings, a storm shield and gun flap serving practical purposes. The garment was designed for movement and protection, but its distinctive construction eventually allowed it to move far beyond its original purpose.

The trench became a symbol of modern city dressing because it could accommodate changing circumstances. It could be worn over a suit, a dress, knitwear or casual clothing, making it equally appropriate for work, travel and everyday life.

Today, Burberry Heritage Trench Coats continue to be made in Yorkshire, where specialist craftsmanship remains part of the house's approach to the garment. Traditional details such as the belt, epaulettes and Check lining remain recognizable, while contemporary interpretations continue to explore proportion, fabrication and silhouette.

The Burberry Check

If the trench coat is Burberry's most recognizable garment, the Burberry Check is its most recognizable pattern.

The Check was first introduced as a lining for rainwear in the 1920s. Initially it appeared as a discreet interior detail, something discovered rather than announced. Its transition from lining to fashion signature was gradual, and by the 1960s the pattern had begun appearing on accessories after a Paris store buyer repurposed the lining fabric as luggage wrapping and an umbrella cover.

The Burberry Check scarf followed in the 1970s and became one of the house's best-known accessories. Today, the pattern appears across scarves, bags, coats, shoes and ready-to-wear, demonstrating how a functional detail can become a visual language of its own.

The Equestrian Knight

Another important element of the Burberry identity is the Equestrian Knight Design. The original emblem was selected through a public competition around the beginning of the twentieth century and depicts a mounted knight carrying a banner marked "Prorsum," meaning "Forwards."

The imagery captures two ideas that have remained relevant to the house: protection and progress. The knight's association with movement, strength and forward direction gives Burberry another symbolic language alongside the trench and Check.

Under Daniel Lee's creative direction, elements of the Equestrian Knight have continued to appear in contemporary fashion through prints, jewellery, bag hardware and other design details, allowing an archival symbol to participate in a modern wardrobe.

From British Utility to Global Luxury

Burberry's influence expanded considerably during the twentieth century as its outerwear travelled beyond Britain. The trench coat became associated not only with military history and British weather but also with cinema, travel and metropolitan life.

The house's appeal has always rested partly on this ability to occupy several worlds at once. A Burberry trench can suggest countryside practicality, London sophistication, professional tailoring or relaxed street style depending on how it is worn.

That versatility has allowed Burberry to remain relevant across generations. The same design language can move between a traditional Heritage Trench Coat and an experimental runway interpretation without losing the recognizable character of the house.

Burberry in the Modern Era

Daniel Lee was appointed Chief Creative Officer in 2022, beginning a new chapter for the house centred on British identity, craftsmanship and contemporary interpretation. His work has continued to explore Burberry's established codes while introducing new proportions, textures, colours and fabrications.

The Summer 2026 collection demonstrated this approach through coated trenches, denim outerwear, crochet, leather, tailored wool, updated Check treatments and equestrian-inspired accessories. The collection also connected fashion with Britain's music culture, reflecting the relationship between clothing, identity and contemporary British life.

For Winter 2026, Burberry returned strongly to London as a source of inspiration. The collection presented trenches, tailoring, leather, shearling, Check and evening textures against a vision of the city after dark. Rather than treating heritage as something fixed in the past, the collection positioned London itself as a continually changing source of creative energy.

The Burberry Wardrobe

Although the trench remains the house's defining garment, Burberry's fashion vocabulary extends considerably further. Outerwear, tailoring, knitwear, scarves, bags, shoes and accessories all provide different ways to enter the Burberry world.

The strength of the wardrobe is its relationship between recognizable details and individual styling. A Check scarf can become the defining element of a restrained outfit, while a classic trench can provide structure to an otherwise relaxed wardrobe. A contemporary bag or pair of boots can introduce the house's equestrian or British references without requiring a head-to-toe look.

This gives Burberry a particular place within luxury fashion: its most recognizable pieces can be worn as statements, but they can also become lasting components of a personal wardrobe.

London at the Heart of Burberry

Burberry's relationship with London is more than a marketing association. The city provides the cultural environment through which many of the house's ideas are expressed — its weather, architecture, music, tailoring traditions, streets and constantly changing communities.

That relationship continues in contemporary campaigns and runway presentations, where London frequently becomes both setting and subject. The city provides the backdrop, while Burberry's clothing becomes a way of interpreting it.

In this sense, Burberry's heritage is not simply an archive of old garments. It is a continuing conversation between British history and the present moment.

Conclusion

Burberry's enduring appeal comes from the unusual meeting of invention and identity. Thomas Burberry's early pursuit of better protection from British weather eventually produced gabardine; gabardine helped establish the trench; the trench became a cultural icon; and the Burberry Check transformed an interior detail into one of fashion's most recognizable patterns.

Today, the house continues to work with those foundations while allowing new generations of designers, artisans and wearers to reinterpret them. The result is a fashion house whose most famous pieces remain recognizable without requiring them to remain unchanged.

Burberry ultimately represents an enduring idea in fashion: when thoughtful design solves a real problem beautifully, function can become style, style can become identity, and identity can become heritage.