The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon opens in September.
Discover the history of the brand's trench coat.
The exhibition is free to attend.
The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon exhibition at V&A will be free to attend.
Burberry and the V&A have announced The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon. Running from 21 September 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, the free exhibition opens in time for London Fashion Week and celebrates one of Britain’s most enduring fashion brands. The exhibition brings together pieces from the Burberry Archive alongside treasures from the V&A, and tells the story of the Burberry trench coat.
The Burberry trench coat has been seen on the backs of models, ranging from Kate Moss to Naomi Campbell. Few people realise that it actually started as military outerwear – hence, the name trench coat. Designed by Thomas Burberry and submitted to the United Kingdom War Office in 1901, it was later modified to protect British officers during the First World War.
Now, in the Prince Consort Gallery at the V&A, visitors can learn all about the story behind the Burberry garment. The Invention section explores Thomas Burberry’s creation of cotton gabardine, and how the fabric transformed outerwear. In the Craft section, it explores the meticulous details, from the hand-finished collar and signature House Check lining to the storm flap and detachable throat latch. The exhibition concludes with the Creativity section, which showcases 19 runway looks from the past 25 years.
Oriole Cullen, Senior Curator of Fashion and Textiles at the V&A, said: “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 trench coat: a British fashion staple that has stood the test of time and continues to evolve over a century on.”
Carly Eck, Brand Curator at Burberry, added: “As we mark 170 years of the house, we are thrilled to partner with the V&A to celebrate the enduring legacy of the Burberry trench coat – a global design icon rooted in British craftsmanship and a symbol of innovation, creativity and timeless style. A myriad of objects from the brand’s Archive will be publicly exhibited for the first time – from early 20th-century catalogues to a Burberry trench coat worn by fashion designer Hardy Amies.”
The exhibition also offers an exciting preview of The Burberry Gallery, which is due to open in autumn 2028. Supported by Burberry, the reimagined space promises to inspire visitors through fashion.
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Where: V&A, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2RL
When: 21 September 2026 to 3 January 2027
Contact: www.vam.ac.uk