ANNOUNCED earlier this week, a new exhibition celebrating Burberry and its renowned Trench Coat will take place at the Victoria & Albert Museum’s iconic and atmospheric Prince Consort Gallery.
The Gallery is a gorgeous architectural space with high, arched ceilings. Originally constructed during the Victorian era to house the Raphael Collection, it holds a detailed and extensive collection of drawings by the grand masters.
Men’s mirror-embroidered trench coat from Autumn/ Winter 2015
At the heart of the space is a mission to preserve and celebrate the change-makers and masters of their craft, making it a fitting setting for Burberry. Drawing on pieces and details from the archive, the exhibition will tell the story of the Trench in three parts.
Beginning with Invention, the display explores the origins of the journey, including Thomas Burberry’s invention of cotton gabardine in 1887. This established a defining style that seamlessly combines fashion and function.
The story then develops through Craft, where the smallest details and most delicate elements, such as the hand-finished collar, will be brought into focus.
Left: Women’s purple baroque-print fringed trench coat from Autumn/ Winter 2025 | Right: Men’s pink metallic silk trench coat from Spring/ Summer 2013
The final chapter, Creativity, explores how the Trench has been modernised and expanded through creative expression. Here, the exhibition will showcase 19 standout looks from the past 25 years, many of which were created under the direction of Chief Creative Officers Daniel Lee and Christopher Bailey, celebrating the seemingly endless possibilities of fashion.
The display will open ahead of the Burberry Gallery in 2028, when the V&A’s fashion galleries will undergo a significant transformation as part of a multi-year partnership with the museum. This ambitious programme will create new opportunities for visitors and curators to experience fashion through innovative exhibition techniques.
by Ellis Dowle
The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon | 21 September 2026 – 3 January 2027