BURBERRY Thomas (Designer)

A geometric layout illustrates all the features that have made the Burberry check as British as the Liberty print or Scottish tartan. Thomas Burberry, a country draper, developed a water and wind-proof fabric he called gabardine; his first raincoat went on sale in the 1890s. Designed for field sports, it was later used by officers in the trenches of the First World War and dubbed the "trench coat". Many of the original features, from epaulettes and storm flaps to the metal D-rings, still appear on the coat today. The coat's shape evolves to keep pace with fashion movements. The distinctive beige and red check lining was first used in the 1920s and Hollywood stars of the 1940s invested it with an aura of glamour. Given new life by the Japanese Burberry-fever of the 1980s, it has since been applied to everything from umbrellas to bags. In 2001 Christopher Bailey became creative director and in 2009 was appointed chief creative officer. 

Also look up for C. Bailey, Brooks, Creed, Hermès, Jaeger