Established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry as a specialist in outdoor wear, Burberry is today known as the international luxury brand for men and women that famously celebrates the British spirit with contemporary charm. The Burberry Prorsum ready-to-wear collection, launched by Roberto Menichetti who was hired as creative director in 1998, showcases during Milan Fashion Week. It was until 2001, when Christopher Bailey took over the helm, that the brand and its 150-year-old heritage — most famed for its signature trench coat and check pattern — started enjoying a modern resurgence in popularity amongst urban fashionistas. Bailey, a Royal College of Art MA graduate awarded “British Designer of the Year” in 2005, has reinvented Burberry’s quintessentially classic reputation by adding a hip aesthetic and chic cool. By infusing its venerable tradition of easy functionality and refined hand tailoring with fashionable style, whimsical design and fabric innovation, Bailey cleverly explores the British sense of luxury with wit and flair. Subtle innovation married with iconic tradition are his strong points — as evident by how he reinvents signature pieces such as the Burberry.