Completed article: Burberry History_Revision
BURBERRY is famous for its trench coats and unique checkered patterns.
In Japan, the “Blue Label” and “Black Label” lines are particularly well known, but in fact, these lines no longer exist.
In this article, I will introduce the history of Burberry.
Establishment
In 1856, Burberry was founded in Basingstoke by British designer Thomas Burberry.
At that time, Thomas was only 21 years old. He was so confident that he called himself an “innovator of clothing.
He used his ambition and natural talent to grow the brand.
This is how Burberry began, and it quickly made its mark.
The quality and assortment of outerwear became well known throughout the UK.
Basingstoke had good transportation, so many people came from all over the UK to buy. Some people even traveled for hours just to buy outerwear.
Burberry steadily improved its business performance and increased the number of products, such as scarves and jackets.
Development of new materials
In addition to expanding the brand, Thomas also focused on improving the functionality of clothing. This is how a material called “gabardine” was born.
It was developed in 1879 and was inspired by the jackets that farmers used to wear to protect themselves from dirt.
It is highly durable and waterproof, and has been used to produce a series of outerwear for soldiers, adventurers, and mountaineers.
It is said to have brought about a revolution in outerwear, which had previously been perceived as heavy and uncomfortable to wear.
Expansion to London
The popularity of gabardine was overwhelming, and demand for Burberry’s products increased even further. The demand for gabardine was overwhelming, and Burberry’s demand grew even higher. The desire to open a store in London grew louder, and in 1891, Burberry finally opened a store in London.
In 1900, the company moved to a building designed by architect Walter Cave. The building is now used as Burberry’s headquarters and showroom.
Since this time, the brand’s fame has expanded worldwide.
It was during this period that the brand’s fame began to expand worldwide, and in order to make Burberry better known, the development of the brand logo began, and the logo of a knight on a horse was born.
The birth of the trench coat
The forerunner of the trench coat was the tie-locken, patented by Burberry in 1912, which was made of gabardine and could be opened and closed without using buttons.
The birth of the trench coat was triggered by the First World War.
Burberry’s all-weather gabardine coat was worn by soldiers of the Allied nations.
The coat was redesigned to withstand fighting in the trenches, hence the name trench coat. Over 500,000 coats were produced during the war.
The most important feature of this coat was that it was improved to be suitable for military activities, including metal D-rings for securing military equipment such as hand grenades, and shoulder straps for passing binoculars and straps.
After the war was over, it became popular as a fashion item.
The birth of the Burberry check
Checks designed in black, camel, red, and white are known as Burberry checks.
They first appeared in 1920. It was first used as a lining for trench coats. It was the 1964 Tokyo Olympics that brought it to the world’s attention.
The lining of the trench coat worn by the British women’s national team attracted attention when it was seen.
Later, it was used for scarves and other items in the 1967 collection, and evolved into a global icon.
Becoming a brand for the royal family
In 1919, the trench coat was officially adopted by the British army, and the company received orders for jackets and coats from the British royal family.
In 1955, the Royal Warrant was issued by Queen Elizabeth.
In 1989, the brand was awarded a second warrant, the Prince of Wales Warrant, and the value of the brand skyrocketed. In 1989, the brand was awarded a second royal warrant, the Prince of Wales, and the value of the brand skyrocketed. The brand was highly valued by celebrities from all walks of life, and became an authoritative brand in the United Kingdom along with Aquascutum.
Growth of the brand
In 1999, “Burberry Prorsum” was established as a luxury line. The word “Prorsum” means “forward” in Latin and symbolizes the modern design that Burberry is aiming for.
Roberto Menietti of Jil Sander was appointed as the designer.
In 2000, the brand name was changed from “Burberry’s” to “BURBERRY”.
In 2001, Roberto stepped down and was replaced by Christopher Bailey. He had been the senior designer for Gucci’s women’s line.
“In 2001, Roberto stepped down and Christopher Bailey took over. This made him one of the most influential designers in the world.
In 2014, Burberry integrated its various lines and relaunched as BURBERRY.
Unique development in Japan
Burberry is a brand that is very familiar with Japan. In fact, along with Louis Vuitton, Japan was the second largest country in the world in terms of sales.
Burberry’s development in Japan started in 1965 when Sanyo Shokai imported coats.
A license was granted in 1970, and sales of Burberry London, which was tailored to the Japanese physique, began.
However, at the time, the style was heavy and had a painful image. It was also perceived as a brand for older people because of its high prices.
My God, sales had been stagnant for almost 25 years!
It was in 1996 that the company itself turned around. In 1996, Burberry turned itself around and established the Burberry Blue Label, a line targeted at young people.
The main target was women in their late teens to 25 years old.
In the late 1990s, Namie Amuro used the brand, and the brand’s fame spread rapidly. As a result, it became the norm for high school girls to have checkered scarves.
In 1998, the “Burberry Black Label” brand for men was born. It became a status symbol for both young men and women to own a Burberry.
The following five brands were developed by Sanyo Shokai.
Black Label
Blue Label
Burberry London
Children’s
Golf
By setting targets and prices for each of these brands, they were able to successfully expand their business in Japan.
In terms of design, Burberry expressed its unique style by retaining the original British feel.
In 2009, “Burberry International” was established to handle British products. In 2009, Burberry International was established to handle British products, making it easier to get authentic British products in Japan.
Decline in brand value and suspension of licensing
In fact, licenses were granted to items made by companies other than Sanyo Shokai. Various companies were developing products using the Burberry name, such as socks, handkerchiefs, and belts.
For Burberry, which is originally a high brand, the licensing development can be called a failure.
The value of the brand was diminished and the products were sold at too low a price.
While it has the advantage of being profitable, it is a double-edged sword that may damage the brand image.
Even Gucci has experienced a downturn in business due to the failure of licensing.
These days, high brands are very sensitive to their brand image, so they tend to stop selling their products under license one after another.
Unlike in the U.K., Burberry’s impression in Japan was that it was a brand for young people.
Burberry took this situation very seriously and terminated the license agreement with Sanyo Shokai in 2015.
Originally, the contract ran until 2020, but it was shortened with the establishment of Burberry International.
As a result, brands such as Black Label and Blue Label were terminated. The brand has been renewed as Crestbridge.
This is a harsh reality for Sanyo Shokai, but it may be the right choice for Burberry.
For a brand, image is the most important thing. Originally, a Burberry coat cost several hundred thousand yen. However, the items in Japan were too cheap, so the brand’s value and image were greatly diminished.
By terminating the license, Burberry must have adopted a strategy to provide the original value of the brand.
Summary
Burberry is a brand that was born in the United Kingdom by a 21-year-old young man.
The popularity of the brand has expanded due to the high reputation of its outerwear. It became a royal warrant from the experience of being used by the British army, and grew into an authoritative brand.
In Japan, the image of the brand for young people took root due to its unique development.
Burberry, which feared the loss of its brand image, terminated the licensing agreement, and the brand is now regaining its original value.
Burberry will continue to sit in the top brand chair in the future.