Burberry has announced a landmark partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum that will see the transformation of its South Kensington Fashion Gallery into a newly redeveloped space, set to reopen as The Burberry Gallery in spring 2027. The multi-year collaboration unites two pillars of British culture, fashion and design, through a shared commitment to heritage, education, and innovation. The gallery, which closes this May, will undergo its first major structural redevelopment since 1962.
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The renovated space will offer an immersive and participatory experience designed to reframe how visitors engage with the V&A’s globally renowned fashion collection. In addition to the physical transformation of the gallery, the partnership includes a programme of educational activities and digital content aimed at expanding access to fashion history for a broad audience. By supporting the renovation and renaming of the gallery, Burberry deepens its ongoing involvement in British cultural institutions.
“Burberry’s partnership with the V&A marks a milestone moment for British arts and culture,” said Burberry CEO Joshua Schulman. “It unites two centuries-old cultural icons with a shared legacy of heritage and innovation, and a commitment to championing creativity. We are so thrilled to come together with the V&A team to celebrate the rich history of fashion and to develop an immersive space that will inspire creative minds for generations to come.”
The Fashion Gallery has long been a cornerstone of the V&A, attracting millions of visitors annually with its displays spanning five centuries of fashion. Over the years, the museum has featured Burberry designs in several major exhibitions, including Fashioned from Nature, Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, and Naomi: In Fashion. The upcoming reimagining of the gallery as The Burberry Gallery reflects both institutions’ shared ambition to spotlight fashion’s role in shaping cultural narratives.
For Burberry, the partnership aligns with its growing support for the arts. The brand has recently staged runway shows at prestigious London venues such as Tate Britain and the National Theatre and has backed initiatives like the British Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia and the Royal Academy’s Thomas Burberry Prize.
V&A Director Tristram Hunt remarked, “Founded in the same decade, for over 150 years the V&A and Burberry have been pillars of British fashion. This partnership allows us to share the V&A’s incredible collections in new and accessible ways and, with Burberry, support education and craftsmanship across the country.” As the Fashion Gallery prepares to close on Sunday, 4 May, visitors can continue to access parts of the collection at the V&A East Storehouse, opening 31 May 2025, and through the museum’s digital archive.
i expected a bit more from this to be honest. Gone are the days of Christopher Bailey at Burberry. :((