The Stuff of Legends in the Heart of South Kensington
In the hushed silence of the Prince Consort Gallery—a space whose doors open only on rare occasions—a unique encounter between military history and contemporary sophistication is taking shape. The Victoria and Albert Museum is set to unveil a major retrospective dedicated to one of the cornerstones of British fashion: the trench coat. Starting September 21, 2026, the exhibition “The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon” will offer a behind-the-scenes look at a garment that has stood the test of time without ever losing its splendor. This exhibition, which runs through January 3, 2027, does more than simply celebrate a coat; it marks the 170th anniversary of the house founded by Thomas Burberry, temporarily transforming the London museum into a sanctuary for gabardine.
The choice of the Prince Consort Gallery is no coincidence. This space, historically dedicated to preserving the institution’s most precious textiles, offers the ideal setting for a garment whose origins are intimately linked to technical innovation. Here, the subdued lighting and protective atmosphere highlight the duality of the trench coat: a highly technical garment that has become an icon of elegance. By bringing together treasures from the Burberry archives and pieces from the V&A’s permanent collection, the exhibition offers a fresh perspective, largely composed of documents and garments never before shown to the public.
From the rain of the trenches to the spotlight of the runways
The origins of this legend date back to 1879, a year that serves as the starting point for the exhibition’s first section, aptly titled “Invention.” It was during this period that Thomas Burberry patented cotton gabardine. Through period specimens and original patents, visitors can understand how this revolutionary fabric—both breathable and waterproof—radically transformed the relationship with outdoor clothing. Originally designed to meet the harsh demands of military service and polar expeditions, the trench coat has, through its sheer practicality, become a staple of civilian wardrobes.
The narrative continues with a meticulous exploration of the coat’s anatomy in the “Craft” section. The exhibition dissects each structural element, revealing that nothing is left to chance in the Burberry silhouette. Here, visitors discover the complexity of the collar—which is still finished by hand today—as well as the original function of the shoulder tab and storm flap; these details, designed to protect against the elements, have become universal aesthetic codes. One of the highlights of this section is undoubtedly the trench coat that once belonged to the famous British fashion designer Hardy Amies—an exceptional loan that illustrates how designers themselves have adopted this uniform to forge their own stylistic identities.
The House Check-patterned lining—often imitated but never equaled—is also highlighted. It is no longer merely an inner layer of protection but a symbol of cultural belonging. As visitors peruse the early 20th-century advertising catalogs on display for the first time, they come to appreciate the incredible consistency of this design, which, despite the passing decades, retains its proportions and relevance. It is this combination of meticulous craftsmanship and clean lines that allows the trench coat to remain timeless in the face of fashion’s capricious cycles.
The Constant Metamorphosis of a Design Object
The exhibition is not rooted solely in the past. The final section, titled “Creativity,” brings together nineteen silhouettes from the collections of the past twenty-five years. This segment illustrates the house’s capacity for renewal under the guidance of its successive creative directors. The visions of Christopher Bailey, who infused the trench coat with a touch of romanticism and pop culture, stand alongside Daniel Lee’s more recent and radical interpretations. These contemporary creations demonstrate that Thomas Burberry’s design is an infinite canvas, capable of absorbing all trends—from patent leather to oversized silhouettes—without ever losing its essence.
Carly Eck, Burberry’s curator, also emphasizes that this collaboration with the V&A is a rare opportunity to pay tribute to a form of British craftsmanship that refuses to become a static museum piece. By displaying archival pieces alongside garments worn on today’s runways, the exhibition highlights the vitality of a design that continues to evolve. The trench coat is not treated as a relic, but as a living organism that adapts to its time while retaining its original DNA.
A New Chapter for Fashion in London
Beyond the 2026 temporary exhibition, this initiative is part of a much larger project. It heralds a lasting partnership between the fashion house and the museum. This multi-year partnership will culminate in the fall of 2028 with the opening of the “Burberry Gallery.” This new permanent space, located within the V&A and supported by the brand, will be entirely dedicated to the history and future of fashion. For Oriole Cullen, senior curator of fashion and textiles at the V&A, this exhibition on the trench coat serves as a necessary prelude.
This future gallery symbolizes the definitive recognition of fashion as a major artistic discipline within London’s cultural landscape. The trench coat will naturally occupy a prominent place there, as an ambassador of British style across the globe. In anticipation of this historic opening, the public is invited to rediscover the functional poetry of this coat, which has weathered more than a century of storms, wars, and aesthetic revolutions to establish itself as the universal uniform of modernity.