The Burberry Trench: An Icon on Display at the V&A

A short walk from Brompton Cross, the V&A South Kensington has opened a new display celebrating one of the most recognisable garments in British fashion. The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon marks Burberry’s 170th anniversary and is free to visit this autumn.

The display brings together rare material from the Burberry Archive and the V&A collection, tracing the trench from its beginnings as practical outerwear and military attire to the global fashion icon it is today. It is housed in the museum’s rarely seen Prince Consort Gallery, whose mahogany cabinets once held fabrics from the V&A’s textile collection, an appropriately storied setting for a coat with such a long history.

The story begins in 1879, when Thomas Burberry invented cotton gabardine, the breathable, weatherproof fabric that made the trench a sought after piece of protective outerwear. Combining function with style, the coat quickly became a design classic and has remained relevant for more than a century.

From there, the display unpicks the details that define the Burberry trench: the collar finished by hand, the distinctive House Check lining, the storm flap and the detachable throat latch, each designed to offer protection when the weather turns.

Many of the objects on show are being exhibited publicly for the first time, from early twentieth century Burberry catalogues to a trench coat once worn by the fashion designer Hardy Amies. As Senior Curator Oriole Cullen notes, the trench is a British staple that has stood the test of time and continues to evolve.