Opening at V&A South Kensington in London from September 21st, 2026, to January 3rd, 2027, The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon celebrates Burberry’s 170th anniversary with a free exhibition devoted to one of fashion’s most enduring designs. Bringing together exceptional pieces from the Burberry archive alongside treasures from the V&A collection, the exhibition follows the trench coat’s remarkable journey from military necessity to a defining emblem of British craftsmanship, innovation, and style.
Burberry archive: rare treasures behind an icon
Housed in the museum’s rarely opened Prince Consort Gallery, the exhibition offers an exceptional glimpse inside the Burberry archive, with many objects on public view for the first time. Visitors will encounter early twentieth-century catalogues, original documents, and the trench coat worn by celebrated British designer Hardy Amies, each revealing another chapter in the House’s rich history.
The exhibition opens with Invention, tracing founder Thomas Burberry’s creation of cotton gabardine in 1879—a breathable, weatherproof fabric that reshaped modern outerwear. It continues with Craft, examining the trench’s meticulous construction through hallmark features such as the hand-finished collar, House Check lining, storm flap, and detachable throat latch, each reflecting the balance of technical ingenuity and refined design.
Burberry 170th anniversary: celebrating heritage and reinvention
The final chapter, Creativity, marks Burberry’s 170th anniversary with 19 runway looks spanning the last twenty-five years. Designs by Christopher Bailey and Daniel Lee illustrate how the trench has continually evolved while retaining its unmistakable character.
The V&A describes the trench as a garment that has remained relevant for more than a century through continual evolution, while Burberry celebrates it as a global icon of British craftsmanship and innovation. The exhibition also reflects the longstanding partnership between Burberry and the V&A ahead of the opening of The Burberry Gallery in 2028, underscoring their shared commitment to preserving fashion heritage.
Blending archival rarities, historic garments, and contemporary runway designs, The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon offers a rare insight into one of fashion’s greatest classics.
Courtesy of BURBERRY
