Burberry Rides "Inconspicuous Luxury" To Restore Its Brand

As the fashion industry pushes to drive sales tonight in New York, with Anna Wintour's shopping initiative Fashion's Night Out, design brands are locked in a struggle for limited consumer dollars. Amidst the current economic downturn, shoppers demand inconspicuous luxury that will stand the test of time.

Venerable outfitter Burberry stands to succeed in this climate, with a renewed focus on their brand after losing control over their image. Early in the decade, Burberry faced an identity crisis. Their iconic check had saturated the market, and become synonymous with “chav” culture (pejorative British slang for thuggish, materialistic youths), undermining decades of prestige and tradition.

Christopher Bailey, Burberry's creative director, can be hailed for restoring the brand's return to nostalgia, tradition and timeless style. Bailey tells The New Yorker that Burberry has universal appeal: “it's for the young, it’s for the old, it’s for the city, it’s timeless, it’s ageless, it’s been worn by everyone from Princess Margaret to Sid Vicious.”

While craftsmanship and design are integral to the appeal of a luxury brand, exclusivity is equally important. Burberry, smartly realizing this, began to eliminate lower-end accessories featuring the check from their catalog. They rebutted their “checks for chavs” stigma -- e.g., the "Burberry Boys" football hooligans who assaulted Turkish football fans -- not by insinuating class differences or degrading their consumers, but by blaming fakes.

Burberry’s disdain for conspicuous consumption keeps it in step with the times, and in style.