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LONDON — Burberry will double down on its 170th anniversary celebration this fall with a new display at the Victoria and Albert Museum, dedicated to the heritage brand’s hero product: the trenchcoat.
Running from Sept. 21, the same day the brand is set to present its spring 2027 collection during London Fashion Week, to Jan. 3, “The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon” will be a free display at the Prince Consort Gallery at the museum’s South Kensington location.
Once home to the V&A’s textile collection, the Prince Consort Gallery will chart the history of the Burberry trenchcoat, from its functional roots to its status as a global fashion emblem of British style.
Women’s purple baroque-print fringed trenchcoat from Burberry fall 2025 collection.
Courtesy of Burberry
Divided into three chapters, the display will feature rare material from both the Burberry archive and the V&A collection. The first part, “Invention,” will focus on the origin story, when brand founder Thomas Burberry developed cotton gabardine in 1879. The weatherproof and breathable fabric at the time was primarily used for protective outerwear and military kit.
The second chapter, “Craft,” is aimed at spotlighting hand-finished details of the item, including the collar, house check lining, storm flap and detachable throat latch.
The final section, “Creativity,” will present 19 runway looks from the past 25 years, including designs by current chief creative officer Daniel Lee and his predecessor Christopher Bailey. There will also be objects from the archive, like early 20th-century catalogues and a trench worn by famed Savile Row tailor and couturier Hardy Amies, which will go on public display for the first time.
Men’s mirror-embroidered trenchcoat from Burberry fall 2015 collection
Courtesy of Burberry
The trenchcoat display will mark a step further in the multiyear partnership between the museum and the British luxury brand.
As reported, Burberry last year pledged to refurbish the Fashion Gallery at the V&A, which was originally scheduled to open in spring 2027 under a new name, The Burberry Gallery. The project is now expected to be unveiled in the fall of 2028.
The Fashion Gallery was last structurally redeveloped in 1962, and it remained one of the most visited and largest dedicated permanent gallery spaces at the South Kensington site, according to the museum.
The V&A has 39 works related to Burberry, made between 1908 and 2014, and has displayed the brand’s items previously as part of several exhibitions, including “Fashioned From Nature,” “Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear” and, more recently, “Naomi: In Fashion.”
A Burberry womenswear catalogue featuring trenchcoats.
Courtesy of Burberry
“In advance of the V&A and Burberry partnership on the forthcoming Fashion Gallery, we are delighted to work with the Burberry Archive to showcase the history of the celebrated trenchcoat: a British fashion staple that has stood the test of time and continues to evolve over a century on,” said Oriole Cullen, senior curator of fashion and textiles at the V&A.
Carly Eck, brand curator at Burberry, said the brand was excited to partner with the V&A to celebrate the legacy of the Burberry trenchcoat, which Eck described as “a global design icon rooted in British craftsmanship and a symbol of innovation, creativity and timeless style.”
Earlier this year, the brand kicked off its anniversary celebration with “The Trench, Portraits of an Icon” campaign. Shot by Tim Walker, it featured 23 stars from film, music, sport and fashion, many of whom walked the runway or sat in the front row at Burberry’s trench-heavy fall 2026 show.
Last month, the Burberry 170th anniversary celebration stretched to China’s great outdoors with a three-part documentary series titled “Expedition With Burberry,” featuring longstanding brand ambassador Chen Kun.
