BURBERRY is a British luxury fashion house headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather goods, footwear, fashion accessories, eyewear, fragrances, and cosmetics. Established in 1856 by Thomas BURBERRY, originally focusing on the development of outdoor attire, the house has moved into the high fashion market, developing gabardine, and exclusively made for the brand. The first shop opened in the Haymarket, London, in 1891. Burberry was an independent family-controlled company until 1955, when it was reincorporated. In 2005, it completed its demerger from GUS plc, the company's former majority shareholder. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In 2015, BURBERRY ranked 73rd in Interbrand's Best Global Brands report, alongside Louis Vuitton and Prada. BURBERRY has stores in 59 countries. BURBERRY was founded in 1856 when 21-year-old Thomas BURBERRY, a former draper's apprentice, opened his own store in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. By 1870, the business had established itself by focusing on the development of outdoors attire. In 1879, BURBERRY introduced gabardine to his brand, a hardwearing, water-resistant yet breathable fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving. In 1891, BURBERRY opened a shop in the Haymarket, London. In May 2001, Christopher Bailey joined BURBERRY as creative director. Christopher Bailey has been the chief creative officer since 2014, as well as CEO from 2014 – November 2017. Bailey stepped down as chief creative officer in March 2018 and departed the brand completely by the end of 2018. Between 2001 and 2005, BURBERRY became associated with "chav" and football hooligan culture. This change in the brand reputation was attributed to lower priced products, the proliferation of counterfeit goods adopting BURBERRY trademark check pattern, and adoption by celebrities prominently identified with "chav" culture. The association with football hooliganism led to the wearing of BURBERRY check garments being banned at some venues. GUS divested its remaining interest in BURBERRY in December 2005.
