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Burro - it's Italian for butter, Spanish for donkey and British for ultra modern menswear. Marian Buckley talks to the business brain behind this ascending label.
It's 1990 and World Cup fever is gripping the globe. Two designers, Susan Denney and Olaf Parker who met at Camberwell School of Art, decide to make their contribution to footie fetishism and create a series of T-shirts bearing the slogan, 'No Alla Violenza'. This simple statement captures the mood of the moment and demand is huge. Stocked in selected outlets including Duffer of St George and Jones in London and Geese in Manchester, 'No Alla Violenza' inspired the designers to transform their Denney and Parker freelance design company into a label. Olaf's brother, Tim, chucked in his job in advertising and dived head first into the fashion business. Burro was born. | |
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 "It's almost a miracle," confesses Tim Parker in autumn 1999 as Burro gears up to open its second London shop, launch its first women's collection for Japan and prepares to open its first Tokyo store. "I had no fashion experience, no business experience and yet Burro has always been totally self-funded. Basically, we blagged it." For four years the label built-up a core customer base through the network of outlets which the T-shirts had produced. In autumn 1993 a Burro shop opened in Covent Garden's Floral Street. Downstairs housed the design studio, upstairs the shop and wholesale division. "We couldn't afford to pay staff at first so all of us took turns working in shop - it was a great opportunity for us to meet customers and find out what they want," says Tim. 'Know the customer' is still a core Burro belief. "We let you decide," explains Tim. "Burro is not about dictating, we respect the intelligence of our customers."
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Last year, Burro launched a second line, Dust , which focuses on more playful clothing and sportswear innovators and skaters. Burro's Newburgh Street shop in heart of the London's revitalised Carnaby district will open its doors on October 1st 1999. Tim's advice for entrepreneurial designers is refreshingly straightforward. "Keep your overheads low for as long as possible and if you are going to spend money make sure it's on people to help you with the business."
Autumn winter highlights include inside-out large pocket trousers, striped mohair knits, double sleeve shirts and stylish diagonal zip jackets with bondage trousers along with Burro's first shoe collection. For spring summer look forward to laboratory-inspired jackets and sleeveless tops, raw edges and a 'cosmic' colour palette encompassing silver, stone, sage, yellow and gaseous pastels. As you would expect from a team of fashion evolutionists, Burro's interests extend well beyond threads. Art exhibitions are held regularly at the Floral Street shop, earlier this year they collaborated with British figurative artists Ray Richardson and Mark Hampson for an exhibition in Tokyo and November 20th-21st will see a similar collaboration in London. Burro hosts club nights in Islington and an evening featuring the wacky Fire Poet is planned for 11th November. | |
