The Heritage
The Story of Burberry
Burberry fragrances are the olfactory equivalent of their iconic trench coat: quintessentially British, effortlessly elegant, and unexpectedly rebellious. The house translates its rich fashion heritage into scents that feel both timeless and perfectly modern. It's the smell of London—a city of classic architecture and defiant street style.
Heritage
Burberry's story begins not with perfume, but with purpose. In 1856, a 21-year-old draper's apprentice named Thomas Burberry opened an outfitter shop in Basingstoke, England. His mission was to protect people from the notoriously damp British weather. He achieved this in 1879 by inventing gabardine, a breathable, weatherproof, and hardwearing fabric that would revolutionize rainwear. The resulting trench coat became an icon, worn by military officers, polar explorers, and eventually, the world. This legacy of practical, stylish protection is the foundation of the entire brand. The house waited over a century to enter the world of fragrance, finally launching its first scent, Burberrys for Men, in 1981. It was a classic aromatic fougère that captured the brand’s established, gentlemanly character. The 1990s saw a significant expansion with fragrances like Burberry Women, which cemented the house's perfumery ambitions. A pivotal moment came in 2013 when then-creative director Christopher Bailey brought the brand's beauty license in-house, a rare and costly move designed to fully integrate fragrance with the fashion vision. Though the license was later passed to beauty giant Coty in 2017, this period solidified fragrance as a central pillar of Burberry's storytelling.
Craftsmanship
Since 2017, Burberry's fragrances have been developed and produced in partnership with Coty, one of the world's leading beauty companies. This partnership gives Burberry access to an extensive network of the industry's most respected perfumers and state-of-the-art ingredient sourcing. The craftsmanship isn't about maintaining private fields of flowers in Grasse; it's about the art of translation. The brand's creative team provides a powerful vision, and Coty's perfumers work to interpret that vision into a complex formula. This collaborative process involves masters of the craft. Francis Kurkdjian, before his appointment at Dior, was the nose behind the brand-defining My Burberry and the blockbuster Her collections. Amandine Clerc-Marie shaped the recent vanilla-centric pillar, Goddess. These perfumers are chosen for their ability to blend commercial appeal with a distinct character that feels true to the brand. The focus is on high-quality synthetic and natural ingredients that can create a specific mood, whether it's the dewy petrichor of a London park or the gourmand comfort of a warm embrace.
Design Language
The visual identity of Burberry fragrances is a direct reflection of its fashion. The bottles and packaging are treated as accessories that tell a story. The My Burberry bottle, for instance, is a masterclass in branding. Its horn-effect cap is inspired by the buttons of the trench coat, and the gabardine ribbon tied around its neck is woven in the same English mill that produces the brand's iconic fabric. It’s a tangible link to the house's most famous creation. As the brand evolves, so does its design language. The Her collection, launched under Riccardo Tisci, introduced a more minimalist, archival-inspired flacon that felt understated and modern, designed to appeal to a new generation. With Daniel Lee's creative direction, the aesthetic continues to shift, as seen with the Goddess bottle, which features a refined rectangular shape and gold detailing inspired by the brand's archives. Across all collections, the iconic Burberry check frequently appears on the outer packaging, a constant reminder of the house's powerful heritage.
Philosophy
Burberry's approach to perfume is rooted in a concept they call 'fragments of the brand'. Each scent is designed to capture a piece of the house's identity: the feeling of a London garden after the rain, the attitude of a modern city girl, or the enduring comfort of their signature trench coat. There's a constant, creative tension between heritage and modernity. They honor their past and the codes of the house, like the check and the gabardine fabric, while simultaneously reflecting the raw, contemporary energy of British youth culture, music, and art. This duality means their fragrances are never just pretty smells; they have a point of view. Under the direction of perfumers like Francis Kurkdjian and Amandine Clerc-Marie, the briefs are specific and evocative. The goal is to create a scent that feels both aspirational and deeply personal, like discovering a perfectly worn-in leather jacket or, of course, your favorite trench coat. It's about bottling Britishness in all its complex, contradictory glory.
Key Milestones
1856
Thomas Burberry opens his first outfitter store in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
1879
Burberry invents gabardine, a breathable and weatherproof fabric that will define the brand.
1981
The house launches its first fragrance, the aromatic and woody Burberrys for Men.
2003
Burberry Brit, a floral-gourmand by Nathalie Lorson, is released and becomes a global bestseller, defining a modern era for the brand.
2014
My Burberry is launched. Created by Francis Kurkdjian, its design and scent are directly inspired by the iconic trench coat.
2018
Her Eau de Parfum, a fruity gourmand also by Francis Kurkdjian, is released, establishing a new major fragrance pillar for the house.
At a Glance
Brand profile snapshot
Origin
United Kingdom
Founded
1856
Heritage
170
Years active
Collection
4
Fragrances released
Avg Rating
3.0
Community sentiment