Who We Are
Burberry is a global brand with a deep British heritage
Founded in 1856 by Thomas Burberry, our brand is underpinned by the strong values of our founder. Merging a passion for the outdoors, we continue to push the possibilities of exploration.
A 21-year-old former draper’s apprentice, Thomas Burberry recognised that people who ventured into the British weather were hampered by heavy, uncomfortable outerwear. He had a bold vision – to enable people to move freely outdoors.
This vision led to the invention of gabardine, a revolutionary fabric renowned for being breathable, weatherproof and hardwearing. In doing so, Thomas created the foundation for the iconic Burberry trench coat which remains core to the business today.
Company Vision
At Burberry, we believe in the power of creativity to open up new spaces and ideas.
A reference to the 'Open Spaces' manifesto of our founder, Thomas Burberry, our purpose draws on our heritage of pushing boundaries and making space for creativity to flourish.
For our founder, open spaces referred to the tiny pockets of air found within the weave of gabardine, the revolutionary fabric he invented. It was also a nod to the freedom his products gave to the pioneering men and women who wore Burberry clothing, including explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and aviator Betty Kirby-Green, and the open spaces they explored.
Today, Burberry continues to delight customers by harnessing creativity to deliver exceptional shopping experiences and products of the highest quality.
Our Values
Our purpose is underpinned by our values. Being creatively driven, forward thinking, open and caring, and proud of our heritage are all hallmarks of our organisation and have remained core to our brand since the company was founded.
Creatively Driven
We combine passion and creativity to pursue the extraordinary in everything we do.
Guided by our founder, Thomas Burberry, we strive to push boundaries to deliver the highest quality luxury products and experiences for our customers.
Creativity connects our past to our future and remains a key part of our philosophy – from the products we design to how we push boundaries and collaborate.
Open & Caring
We believe being open and caring involves nurturing a culture that is open, inclusive and united.
Driven by his passion for social causes and inclusivity, Thomas Burberry was a humanitarian who embraced challenging conventions. He opened his home and established an interdenominational hall to bring together people of different faiths during the suffragette movement.
We continue Thomas’s legacy today through initiatives that make a meaningful difference, such as The Burberry Foundation and our Cultural Advisory Council, which guides us in fostering a truly inclusive culture at Burberry.
For us, being open and caring means looking out for and welcoming different voices or perspectives, nurturing open and supportive relationships and demonstrating integrity.
Proud of our Heritage
Feeling proud of our heritage stems from our founder. Born in Surrey, he was proudly British with a global mindset, always open to new possibilities and perspectives.
Thomas opened his first store in 1856, selling clothes, fabrics and accessories. Inspired by outdoor exploration, he developed the world’s first breathable and weatherproof fabric, leading to the invention of gabardine in 1879. His work attracted explorers and pioneers alike, including Sir Ernest Shackleton and Betty Kirby-Green who took to the skies in Burberry in her record-breaking flight. In 1909, Thomas took Burberry on an adventure of its own by opening his first overseas store in Paris and then in Buenos Aires shortly after. By 1920, Burberry had more than 1,750 wholesale agents in almost every territory across the world.
This openness to new perspectives is reflected in the evolution of our Equestrian Knight Design under the new creative lead of Daniel Lee in February 2023. Crowdsourced around 1901, this enduring code has been reworked in our new house colour, knight blue – a fresh interpretation of our heritage.
Being proud of the Burberry heritage means embracing our legacy of exploration and discovery, understanding our unique identity, finding new ways to express different viewpoints, and taking a global perspective by learning from colleagues, teams and customers across the world.
Forward Thinking
Forward thinking is about challenging ourselves to consistently think ahead whilst making space to explore new possibilities.
Thomas Burberry was an inventor, a challenger of conventions and a forward thinker. Burberry was the outfitter of choice for several polar explorers, including Sir Ernest Shackleton, who wore Burberry gabardine on multiple expeditions in the early 20th century.
Like Thomas Burberry, we continue to redefine how customers experience our brand and channel our creativity. We became the first brand to live stream a fashion show in 2010, launched our first NFT collection through the gaming platform Blankos Block Party in 2021 and created an in-game adventure and capsule collection in collaboration with Minecraft in 2022.
Approach to Luxury
Throughout our history, we have been inspired by nature and the outdoors, enabling explorers and innovators to open new spaces and unlock endless possibilities. Our ambition, driven by our purpose and values, is to do well by doing right.
Through creating luxury products made to last, tackling the climate crisis and empowering our people and communities around the world, we can work together to secure a better future for our industry, our planet and generations to come.
