Burberry Trench Takes Over V&A for 170th Anniversary
Burberry, the British luxury house, pulled back the curtain on its trench coat at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on Thursday.
The first look at 'The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon' came four days before the show opens to the public on Monday, 21 September, in the museum's Prince Consort Gallery WWD. It runs until 3 January.
The timing is deliberate. The preview landed as the spring 2027 edition of London Fashion Week began. The display forms a major part of Burberry's 170th anniversary celebrations and coincides with the label's spring 2027 show.
The exhibition traces the coat from military and outdoor gear to a garment worn around the world. It is told in three chapters: Invention, Craft and Creativity.
Invention goes back to 1879. That was when founder Thomas Burberry developed cotton gabardine, a tightly woven, water-resistant cloth that made the trench possible.
Craft looks at how the coat is put together. The focus is on the hand-finished collar, the house check lining, the storm flap, an extra layer across the shoulder that sheds rain, and the detachable throat latch, a small strap that fastens at the neck.
Creativity moves to the runway. The section brings together 19 looks by Daniel Lee, Burberry's current chief creative officer, and Christopher Bailey, his predecessor. They sit under a ceiling of illuminated clouds inspired by a John Constable oil painting of Hampstead Heath held in the V&A collection.
Archival material runs through the show. It includes rarely seen pieces from the Burberry Archive and the V&A's holdings, among them early 20th-century catalogues. A trench coat worn by Hardy Amies, the Savile Row tailor and couturier, goes on public display for the first time.
What makes this stand out for visitors is the access. Patterns, catalogues and construction details rarely leave the archive. Here they sit beside finished runway looks.
For fans, this means planning is simple. The show is at V&A South Kensington on Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, and admission is free V&A. It closes on Sunday, 3 January 2027 Burberry.
The display also points to a larger project. It sets the stage for The Burberry Gallery, a major overhaul of the V&A's fashion galleries. The space was last structurally redeveloped in 1962. Work backed by Burberry was scheduled to open in spring 2027 and is now expected in autumn 2028.
