A free exhibition at V&A South Kensington traces how a piece of weatherproof military workwear became one of Britain’s most enduring fashion icons, marking the 170th anniversary of Burberry.

For a garment designed to keep soldiers dry in the trenches, the Burberry trench coat has enjoyed an extraordinary second life. This autumn, London’s Victoria and Albert Museum presents The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon, running from 21 September 2026 to 3 January 2027 in the rarely opened Prince Consort Gallery.

Courtesy of Burberry

Coinciding with Burberry’s 170th anniversary, the free exhibition draws on the fashion house’s archive alongside the V&A’s own collection. Garments, sketches, catalogues, and photographs chart the trench’s evolution with several objects. Including early twentieth-century catalogues and a trench once owned by Savile Row couturier Hardy Amies, displayed publicly for the first time.

The story begins with Thomas Burberry, who founded his draper’s shop in Basingstoke in 1856. Seeking an alternative to the heavy, rubberized rainwear of the Victorian era, he invented gabardine in 1879, a lightweight, breathable, water-resistant fabric that transformed outerwear and earned a patent in 1888.

Courtesy of Burberry

Before becoming military uniform, gabardine accompanied polar expeditions. During the First World War, Burberry’s Tielocken coat evolved into the modern trench, with practical details such as epaulettes, storm flaps, D-rings, and adjustable cuffs that remain defining features today.

Visitors can explore the craftsmanship behind the coat, from its hand-finished collar and signature checked lining to the storm shield and throat latch. Burberry continues to weave its heritage gabardine in Yorkshire and manufactures its classic trench coats in England.

Courtesy of Burberry

The exhibition also examines the trench’s rise from military necessity to fashion icon, immortalized by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It concludes with 19 runway looks by Christopher Bailey and Daniel Lee, demonstrating how each generation has reinterpreted the classic silhouette.

The exhibition also previews Burberry’s partnership with the V&A, which will see the museum’s fashion galleries reopen in autumn 2028 as The Burberry Gallery. Moreover, The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon is free to visit at V&A South Kensington from 21 September 2026 to 3 January 2027.