Ahead of the Curve
Canada’s first stand alone Burberry store opened in Vancouver in November of 2008. It has taken more than one hundred and fifty years for one of Britain’s most recognizable brands to make its way around the world to one of the Empire’s last outposts, but the wait was worth it. In recent years, the venerable yet once dowdy Burberry label has done an amazing about face. It has become one of the UK’s hippest design houses, and one of the nation’s most valuable exports.

Luxury Made Well
Then 28-year-old Christopher Bailey became Burberry’s Design Director in 2001, and now oversees every aspect of menswear, womenswear, accessories, footwear and store design, including designing the Burberry Prorsum collections show in Milan each season. He was previously at Donna Karan, and worked with Tom Ford at Gucci. Since he joined Burberry, the brand has gone through a complete overhaul, keeping its reputation of quality and construction, but with a youthful design sensibility that reflects 21st century tastes. The gabardine, checks and trenchcoats are still around, but they’re revolutionized.

Quality That Lasts
Who says that traditions can’t be hip? A company that has survived two World Wars, a great Depression and most of Queen Victoria’s reign has stuck around for a reason. That reason is quality. New design inroads by no way compromise the Burberry tradition of attention to detail and excellence in construction, which is why the label’s casual and formal clothes, handbags, jewelry, shoes and other items continue to stand the test of time.