The Facts
On September 17, 2026, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and Burberry announced 'The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon', a free display opening September 21, 2026, at the Prince Consort Gallery in V&A South Kensington. Running through January 3, 2027, the exhibition celebrates Burberry's 170th anniversary by tracing the trench coat's evolution from practical outerwear and military attire to a global fashion icon. It brings together rare material from the Burberry Archive and the V&A collection, including early 20th-century catalogues and a trench coat worn by designer Hardy Amies. The display is organized into three sections—'Invention', 'Craft', and 'Creativity'—the latter featuring 19 runway looks from Chief Creative Officers Daniel Lee and Christopher Bailey. A ceiling of clouds inspired by a John Constable painting in the V&A collection illuminates the final section.
The Signal
The exhibition precedes the launch of The Burberry Gallery in autumn 2028, a major transformation of the V&A's fashion galleries supported by Burberry as part of a multi-year partnership. For collectors and fashion historians, the display offers rare archival pieces and runway looks that underscore the trench coat's enduring value as a design classic. The partnership signals the V&A's strategy of leveraging brand collaborations to fund institutional renovations while providing Burberry with a platform to reinforce its heritage of British craftsmanship and innovation.
- People: Oriole Cullen, Carly Eck, Thomas Burberry, Daniel Lee, Christopher Bailey, Hardy Amies
- Museums: Victoria and Albert Museum
- Locations: London
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