As Burberry marks its 170th anniversary, the British house unveils The Trench: Portraits of an Icon, a global campaign dedicated to one of fashion’s most recognisable garments. The project celebrates the trench coat not only as a design object, but as a cultural symbol that has bridged function and fashion for generations.
First developed through founder Thomas Burberry’s invention of gabardine in 1879, the trench coat redefined outerwear. Designed to resist the elements while allowing freedom of movement, gabardine introduced a new way of dressing. More than a century later, the trench continues to embody that same duality: protective yet expressive, practical yet elegant.
Under the creative direction of Daniel Lee, the campaign gathers 23 global figures from across creative disciplines. Photographed by Tim Walker in a series of intimate black-and-white portraits, the images feel both immediate and timeless. The trench is worn instinctively — collars turned up, belts loosely fastened, reinforcing its character as both shield and statement.
The cast includes names such as Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, Kid Cudi, Jack Draper, Jonathan Bailey and Little Simz, forming a cross-generational portrait of contemporary culture. Each brings a distinct perspective to the coat, underscoring its enduring global resonance.
Accompanying the portraits is a documentary film capturing unscripted exchanges between cast and crew, set to “Sing” by Blur. Together, the imagery and film frame the trench as both object and emblem, shaped by craftsmanship and animated by those who wear it.
The campaign also introduces an expanded Heritage Collection, presenting five core silhouettes: the Kensington, Waterloo and Chelsea trench coats, the Camden car coat and the newly introduced Mayfair trench jacket with its modern cropped cut. Each piece is made in England at the Castleford manufacturing site, with cotton gabardine woven at the Burberry Mill in Keighley, Yorkshire. The fabrics, from the shower-resistant outer to the lining, contain 100 per cent organic cotton.
Beyond heritage styles, new interpretations such as the Fitzrovia trench and Ellingham car coat introduce fuller proportions and sculpted waists, while tropical gabardine versions in pale sugar pink, stone beige and graphite grey reinterpret the icon for warmer climates.
The campaign extends into Burberry stores worldwide through striking window displays and curated pop-ups at Regent Street London, Isetan Shinjuku Tokyo, Lotte Main Seoul and 57th Street New York. Gallery-like installations pair the trench silhouettes with the campaign’s portraits, reinforcing the garment’s dual identity as both functional design and cultural statement.
Through portraiture, film and craft, The Trench: Portraits of an Icon reaffirms the Burberry trench as a symbol of British style; enduring, adaptable and unmistakably iconic.
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