Burberry is a British luxury fashion house headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather goods, footwear, fashion accessories, eyewear, fragrances, and cosmetics. Established in 1856[2] by Thomas Burberry, originally focusing on the development of outdoor attire, the house has moved into the high fashion market, developing gabardine, and products made exclusively for the brand.[A] The first London shop opened in the Haymarket, in 1891. Burberry was an independent family-controlled company until 1955, when it was reincorporated. In 2005, it completed its demerger from GUS plc, the company\'s former majority shareholder.[4] The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In 2015, Burberry ranked 73rd in Interbrand\'s Best Global Brands report, alongside Louis Vuitton and Prada.[5][6] Burberry has stores in 59 countries. Burberry was founded in 1856 when 21-year-old Thomas Burberry, a former draper\'s apprentice, opened his own store in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England.[8] By 1870, the business had established itself by focusing on the development of outdoors attire.[8] In 1879, Burberry introduced gabardine to his brand, a hardwearing, water-resistant yet breathable fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving.[9] In 1891, Burberry opened a shop in the Haymarket, London.[8] 20th century Former Burberry headquarters on the Haymarket, built 1913 Burberry Check In 1901, the Burberry Equestrian Knight logo was developed containing the Latin word \"Prorsum\", meaning \"forwards\", and later registered it as a trademark in 1909.[8] In 1911, the company became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen,[8] the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica. A Burberry gabardine jacket was worn by George Mallory on his attempt on Mount Everest in 1924.[10] Adapted to meet the needs of military personnel, the \"trench coat\"[8] was born during the First World War due to its being worn by British officers in the trenches. After the war, it became popular with civilians. The Burberry check has been in use since at least the 1920s, primarily as a lining in its trench coats.[8] Burberry also specially designed aviation garments. In 1937, A. E. Clouston and Betty Kirby-Green broke the world record for the fastest return flight from London to Cape Town in The Burberry airplane that was sponsored by the brand.[11] Burberry was an independent family-controlled company until 1955, when Great Universal Stores (GUS) assumed ownership.[12] Influences and rise to prominence Stars of the modern world began wearing the Burberrys brand. During the 1970s and 1980s, Burberry signed agreements with worldwide manufacturers to produce complementary products to the existing British collection such as suits, trousers, shirts, sportswear, accessories, for men, ladies, and children. These products, designed under the strict control of headquarters in London, were produced and distributed through independent retail stores worldwide as well as the Burberry stores, and contributed to the growth of the brand in sales and profits through to the late 90s, although the full extent of sales was not apparent in the parent company accounts since much was done through licensed agreements. The company had signed Lord Litchfield as photographer, Lord (Leonard) Wolfson was Chairman and Stanley Peacock OBE Managing Director.[13] In 1997, GUS director Victor Barnett became chairman of Burberry, hiring Rose Marie Bravo to execute a corporate reorganization and restoration of the brand as a luxury fashion house.[14] Barnett led the company up to its successful IPO in 2001.[15]