How Burberry reclaimed its brand
As Burberry buys its Chinese distributors for £70m, we look back at the company's efforts to keep control of its luxury credentials
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Burberry was founded in 1856, with a focus on outdoor attire. As this 1918 advert shows, the company soon won the affection of those higher up the social ladder
Photograph: Corbis
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Today, Burberry is a key figure in the clothing world: this model was snapped on the catwalk of the Burberry Spring/Summer 2010 show during London Fashion Week. But the company has fought a tough battle to keep control of its brand in recent years
Photograph: Ian Gavan/Getty Images
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A Burberry trenchcoat from the 1930s. Elegant, well-cut, it's very much how the company likes to be seen. Unlike ...
Photograph: Henry Guttmann/Getty Images
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... this. Burberry found itself facing something of a brand crisis in the last decade, when a successful sales drive made its distinctive check just a little too popular - both with men ...
Photograph: Jonathan Hordle/Rex Features
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... and dogs. This picture from 2000 shows Dax the Dachshund, from Bristol, who has his own set of Burberry jackets
Photograph: David Marsden/Rex Features
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Burberry chief executive Angela Ahrendts is not in the fashion business to make dogs look smart. Ahrendts, who took over in 2006, has made protecting the Burberry brand and fighting counterfeiters top priorities
Photograph: Ian Gavan/Getty Images Europe
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Burberry has had good years recently, with its shares hitting a new, all-time high when the China deal was announced. Last year Prince Charles was presented with a gabardine walking jacket by Burberry's creative director Christopher Bailey as he officially opened the new Burberry global headquarters at Horseferry House in Westminster
Photograph: Getty Images
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Christopher Bailey has become a darling of the fashion world and is widely credited with reviving the brand's fashion credibility. He has also embraced new media: Burberry's latest ad campaign (seen here) is an interactive experience
Photograph: Burberry
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In hard times - such as global recession - fashion companies usually turn to supermodels such as Kate Moss or Gisele Bundchen. The use of Harry Potter actress Emma Watson was therefore a risk, but one that paid off by bringing the brand to a much younger audience
Photograph: PA
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China is now a key market. Here, a couple walk past a Burberry shop window in Nanjing. Most fashion companies make the lion's share of their profits from perfume and accessories sales
Photograph: China Photos/Getty Images
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Counterfeit goods have become a major issue. Here, fake-branded goods are put on display by Hong Kong customs
Photograph: Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images
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But Angela Ahrendts would probably be delighted to avoid a repeat of the Vauxhall 'Chavalier'. It appeared at a Chav Rally organised by rappers Goldie Lookin' Chain in 2004
Photograph: Rex Features
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