The V&A and Burberry will open The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon on the 21st of September, bringing rare material from the Burberry Archive and V&A collection together to mark Burberry’s 170th anniversary.
The free display, which runs until the 3rd of January 2027 at the V&A South Kensington’s Prince Consort Gallery, traces the development of the Burberry trench from practical outerwear and military attire to an internationally recognised fashion design.
The exhibition is divided into three sections: ‘Invention’, ‘Craft’ and ‘Creativity’. It begins with Thomas Burberry’s invention of cotton gabardine in 1879 and examines its use in the trench coat, which established the garment as protective outerwear combining function and style.
The ‘Craft’ section focuses on details including the hand-finished collar, House Check lining, storm flap and detachable throat latch, highlighting the construction of the coat and its protective features.
The final section features 19 runway looks from the past 25 years, including designs by Chief Creative Officers Christopher Bailey and Daniel Lee. A ceiling of clouds, inspired by a John Constable oil painting of Hampstead Heath in the V&A collection, reflects the British weather.
The display also includes rare archive material being shown publicly for the first time, including early 20th-century catalogues and a trench coat worn by fashion designer Hardy Amies.
The display precedes the opening of The Burberry Gallery in autumn 2028, part of a multi-year partnership between Burberry and the V&A. The redesigned gallery will transform the museum’s fashion galleries and provide a space for visitors to experience fashion through new approaches.
