With over 160 years of history, Burberry is a global luxury fashion icon, speaking to the British heritage of technical innovation and timeless design. In 1856, at age 21, Thomas Burberry established his outfitting business, supplying water-resistant clothing for outdoor activities. His interest in weatherproof textiles that were comfortable to wear led to his 1879 invention of gabardine, a tightly woven yet pliable and breathable fabric. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Burberry notably outfitted legendary
Polar explorers including Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen, and Ernest Shackleton, and sponsored the pioneering aviatrix Betty Kirby-Green. Known around the world, Burberry developed its classic trench coat during World War I to produce a durable, lightweight garment to keep soldiers dry and warm. Quintessentially British, the Burberry trench coat epitomizes the fusion of form and function. Postwar, worn by stars, tastemakers, and trendsetters, it became an iconic wardrobe essential. The trademark Burberry check first appeared as the lining for the trench coat in the 1920s, and in the 1960s it began to adorn accessories, becoming the unmistakable Burberry signature of today. Emblematic of Burberry craftsmanship and enduring British style, these building blocks remain the fundamental house codes, elevated and reinvigorated in the 2000s by creative directors Christopher Bailey and Riccardo Tisci. Fashion journalist Alexander Fury explores the themes of Britishness, freedom, and heritage in this legends collection volume, featuring archival photos and vintage documents from Burberry's beginnings as a small family-run business, as well as campaigns and editorials throughout the decades, illustrating the brand’s evolution to a modern fashion powerhouse sought by the pioneering cultural icons of our age. Alexander Fury is a fashion journalist, author, and critic. He is fashion features director of Another Magazine and men’s critic for Financial Times. From 2016 to 2018 he was the first chief fashion correspondent at T: the New York Times Style Magazine, and from 2013 to 2016 he was fashion editor of the Independent, I, and the Independent on Sunday Newspapers. In 2018, Fury received the honorary doctorate of humane letters from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. His other books include Dior: catwalk (Thames
And Hudson, 2017); Catwalking: Photographs by Chris Moore (Laurence King, 2017); Dior By Gianfranco Ferré (Assouline, 2018); Chanel: The Impossible Collection (Assouline, 2019) and Montblanc: Inspire Writing (Assouline, 2021).

 

• Linen hardcover book in a luxury slipcase 
• 252 pages, 200 illustrations 
• Approx. 14"L x 11"W
• Made in Italy