The V&A is partnering with Burberry to celebrate one of fashion’s most enduring designs with The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon, a free exhibition opening at V&A South Kensington in September.
Marking Burberry’s 170th anniversary, the display will bring together rarely seen pieces from the Burberry Archive alongside objects from the V&A’s own collection, tracing the evolution of the trench coat from practical military outerwear to a defining symbol of British fashion. Housed in the museum’s historic Prince Consort Gallery, the exhibition explores the innovation, craftsmanship and creativity that have shaped the iconic garment for more than a century.
The exhibition begins with the invention of Thomas Burberry’s revolutionary cotton gabardine in 1879 before examining the meticulous details that define the trench today, from its hand-finished collar and storm flap to its signature House Check lining. The final section spotlights 19 runway interpretations from the past 25 years, including designs by Chief Creative Officers Christopher Bailey and Daniel Lee, highlighting the coat’s continued reinvention across generations.
The display also celebrates the long-standing relationship between Burberry and the V&A ahead of the opening of The Burberry Gallery in autumn 2028, a major transformation of the museum’s fashion galleries supported by the British luxury house as part of a multi-year partnership.
The exhibition is open from September 21, 2026 through January 3, 2027.