The Burberry Trench | Hello Fashion | Kate Young

Whether you’re in fashion or not, you know what a trench coat is. In this episode, I introduce you to the trench’s original architect—the British luxury fashion house Burberry—and walk you through its many intricacies.

I begin with the inception of the brand, which was rooted in a very practical, universal problem: rain. For most of the 19th century, rainwear was heavy, bulky, and difficult to move in. In 1879, however, Thomas Burberry invented a new lightweight, breathable, weatherproof, and tear-proof fabric called gabardine. The fabric gained widespread acclaim, and during World War I, Burberry used it to design the very first trench coat. Over time, Burberry outerwear became known and loved by people all over the world, and it soon made its way to becoming one of the world’s top luxury fashion brands.

Today, Burberry is worn by the world’s top celebrities, including Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez, and F.K.A. Twigs. But to me, the brand will always be fundamentally democratic in its aesthetic. It works on everyone: babies, kids, old people, young people, people in other countries all over the world… even dogs. It doesn’t really matter how old you are, or where you’re from, you like it. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon.


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Produced by The Slowdown (http://www.slowdown.tv)

Theme music: Cate Le Bon (http://www.catelebon.com)

Credits:
Burberry: https://us.burberry.com/

References (by order of appearance):

Thomas Burberry, founder of Burberry
Burberry’s Store in Basingstoke (1856)
Macintosh Raincoat, 1800s
Aquascutum Raincoat, 1850s
Gabardine: a lightweight, breathable, weatherproof and tear-proof fabric
The Makings of Signature Trench Coat (2020): Courtesy Burberry
Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian polar explorer
Sir Ernest Shackleton, Explorer
Behind the Scenes: The Tale of Thomas Burberry (2016) (Courtesy Burberry)
Arthur Clouston and Betty Kirby-Green, Aviators
Gary Cooper, Actor
“A Man from Wyoming” (1930)
Flying Nurses of the USAAF Ninth Troop Carrier Command (1944)
Burberry Logo (1968 – 1999)
Burberry Logo (1999 – 2018)
Fabien Baron, Art Director
Peter Saville, Art Director
Burberry Logo (2018 – Present)
Fall/Winter Collection (2020)
Pre-Spring Collection (2021)
Fall/Winter Collection (2018)
Fall/Winter Collection (2017)
Spring/Summer Collection (2020)
Burberry’s Store at 8 Boulevard Malesherbes in Paris (1920s)
Laminated Trench Coats (2018)
Billie Eilish, Singer-Songwriter
Selena Gomez, Singer
FKA Twigs, Singer-Songwriter
Riccardo Tisci, Chief Creative Officer of Burberry Group
The Monogram Puffer Collection (2019)
Spring/Summer Collection (2021)