Global campaign featuring leading figures from film, music, sport and fashion

Celebrating Burberry’s 170th anniversary, ‘The Trench, Portraits of an Icon’ celebrates a beloved signature style that has long blended function and fashion.

Founder Thomas Burberry’s groundbreaking invention, gabardine, has been redefining outerwear since 1879. The innovative fabric is designed to withstand the elements while allowing freedom of movement. He introduced a new way of dressing. Today, every trench coat continues to embody the same duality. It is a shield against the weather and a canvas for self-expression, valued by generations worldwide.

Refined through quiet evolution, the Burberry trench coat remains enduring. It is practical and expressive, functional and unmistakably elegant. So it remains a symbol of British culture and modern heritage.

Daniel Lee, Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer, said of the campaign: “To celebrate the Burberry trench coat, an icon of British style and fashion, we invited friends from across the creative world to bring it to life.”

The series of intimate black and white portraits photographed by Tim Walker appear immediate and timeless. It shows an effortless sophistication in the way the trench coat is worn: a turned-up collar, a loosely tied belt. It has a protective and expressive effect at the same time.

The campaign brings together a cast of 23 global stars from film, music, sport and fashion, including Agyness Deyn, Alva Claire, Bright, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Eberechi Eze, Erin O’Connor, Hikaru Utada, Iris Lasnet, JY Park, Jack Draper, Jonathan Bailey, Karen Elson, Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, Kid Cudi, Kristin Scott Thomas, Little Simz, Matthew Macfadyen, Reece Clarke, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Sora Choi, Teyana Taylor and Wu Lei. Together they form a cross-generational portrait of contemporary culture, each bringing their own perspective to the coat.

Lee explains: “Think of it as a tribute to Burberry – a symbol of British style and craftsmanship – and a thank you to the skilled people behind each coat.”

A documentary film accompanies the campaign and captures unscripted conversations between cast and crew. Featuring a soundtrack by Blur, it reflects a modern Britain that is creative, confident and cosmopolitan. This is a spirit that the trench coat has embodied for more than a century. Together, the portraits and the film form a study of the trench coat as object and symbol. It is characterized by craftsmanship, enlivened by character and defined by the people who wear it.

As Burberry celebrates its 170th anniversary, the campaign also kicks off a year-long celebration of the house’s archive and history. It honors the legacy that continues to shape its present and future.

“The Burberry trench coat is one of the most iconic features of our brand. This campaign tells its timeless story – a story rooted in the craftsmanship, innovation and authenticity that have defined us for 170 years,” said Joshua Schulman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO). “It celebrates Burberry’s enduring global resonance through design that is deeply woven into British style and culture. It inspires people across generations to express their individuality while remaining unmistakably Burberry.”

Trench models

Celebrating Burberry’s 170th anniversary, the campaign features an expanded heritage collection and new interpretations of the house’s iconic trench and car coats.

The Heritage Collection draws from Burberry’s rich history of British craftsmanship and rainwear innovation and includes five different silhouettes. The characteristic models – the Kensington, Waterloo and Chelsea trench coats as well as the Autocoat Camden – are joined by the Mayfair trench jacket, a new addition to the range that is characterized by a modern, cropped cut.

Every coat and jacket in the Heritage Collection is made in England at the Castleford production site. Specialist tailors there have been producing Burberry rainwear for more than 50 years. Designed for a wrinkle-resistant structure ensuring a clean finish, the cotton gabardine is lined in beige house check. All fabrics, from the water-repellent upper to the cotton lining, are woven at the Burberry Mill in Keighley, Yorkshire. The main material and body lining of each coat are made from 100 percent organic cotton.

Beyond the Heritage Collection, new designs offer fresh interpretations of the archive. The Fitzrovia Trench Coat and Ellingham Autocoat add volume to the trench coat with wider sleeves and a fuller skirt. This creates a prominent accent at the belted waist.

The in-house silhouettes are also reinterpreted in tropical gabardine. This is the lightest of Burberry’s signature fabrics, designed for warmer climates. The color palette is soft, ranging from light sugar pink and stone beige for women to graphite gray for men.

Shop windows and pop-ups

The campaign puts the Burberry trench coat in the spotlight in stores worldwide. This is done through a series of impressive window displays and specially curated pop-up installations. Each room is designed to celebrate the trench coat as an icon of the house. Its heritage, craftsmanship and cultural status are placed at the heart of the Burberry shopping experience.

In both the shop windows and the pop-ups, the characteristic silhouettes are showcased alongside large black and white portraits from the campaign. This creates bold, gallery-like moments that invite customers to experience the designs alongside the campaign’s iconic cast. The contrast between product presentations and expressive images underlines the trench coat as both a functional design and a cultural statement.

Pop-ups will be found in key global locations including Regent Street in London, Isetan Shinjuku in Tokyo, Lotte Main in Seoul and 57th Street in New York.