M Diary #96: Burberry, all new arrivals of the British luxury brand
Burberry: trench coat and latest arrivals online
Burberry was founded in 1856 by young tailor Thomas Burberry, who opened his first store in Basingstoke (Hampshire, England).
In 1879 he invented gabardine: an innovative hardwearing fabric, compact but completely transpiring and especially waterproof.
The huge success allowed him in 1891 to open his first shop "Burberry & Sons" in the Haymarket, London, becoming popular also among the royal family who then commissioned him to create the uniforms for the British army.
In 1912 the “Tielocken” coat was patented, designed by Thomas Burberry as a military item, a true trench coat.
The garment was entirely gabardine-made, buttons free and with a waist belt. Characterised by many functional features in a military context, such as a water repellent cape, a deep back fold to facilitate movements, chin and wrist straps to protect soldiers from bad weather conditions.
The traditional colour of the trench coat was khaki (from Persian "khak", meaning dust-coloured).
The check model trench was designed with an internal tartan motif, registered as a trademark in 1920 and still representing the distinctive sign of the label. Each lining is carefully cut and sewn to ensure the design is symmetrical and unbroken, while the under-collar lining features a bias positioning with the lines of the checks.
During the 40s the trench coat appeared on screen, worn by many movie stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson and Ava Gardner, who made of the classic Burberry garment a true icon of style.
Trench coat is still considered an evergreen, a passe-partout to be worn 365 days a year. This British timeless-chic raincoat is a real must-have piece of all collections.
This is a season of great news for Burberry: the debut of new creative director Riccardo Tisci who has showed a more international and sensual aesthetic vision; a new logo created by Peter Saville; a new research project in sustainable materials; the recent announcement banning the use of real fur by the British fashion house.
Visit our online shop to keep you up to date and discover all new arrivals!