Lavender lace trench coat with self-fabric belt and matching knickers, Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum, Look 5, Spring 2014

Trench coat, matching belt and silk-lined knickers, all made in light purple lace

Given by the designer

Summary
Ensemble. Lilac lace trench coat dress, matching lace knickers, suede shoes and leather belt, designed by Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum, S/S 2014

The maker
Burberry was founded in 1856 by former draper's apprentice Thomas Burberry, who opened the first Burberry shop in Basingstoke. Known for producing outdoor clothing, in 1880 Burberry introduced gabardine, a hardwearing, water-resistant yet breathable fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving. In 1911 they became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica The company is now well known as a luxury British brand providing fashion, accessories, fragrances and cosmetics. In May 2001, British designer and RCA graduate Christopher Bailey, joined Burberry as creative director and is now Chief Creative Officer and CEO of the brand which also has a Royal Warrant.

The Design
In 1914, Burberry was commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer's coat to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in what became known as the ‘trench coat’. After the war, the trench coat became popular with civilians of both sexes and is now considered a ‘design classic’, synonymous with the brand. Although Burberry offer a wide range of clothing it is the trench coat design which is returned to and remodelled each season.
This coat dress deliberately subverts the original ‘trench’ design by using impractical, feminine-coloured lace fabric, but retains many of the classic features such as the storm flap, wide lapels, self-fabric belt and wrist and shoulder straps. It was worn on the catwalk with matching lilac lace knickers, a lilac doeskin belt and contrasting green suede sandals. The belt was re-made for the V&A as part of the gift to match that worn on the catwalk.


Significance and relevance to the V&A
The V&A has several pieces by Burberry in the collections including a man’s suit from 1904 (T.159&A-1969), 1920s ski wear (T.30:A-F-1978) and trench coats from the 1970s and 1980s. This ensemble, acquired 100 years after Burberry’s first trench coat designs, reflects their continual reworking of the design and is an important t example of work produced under CEO Christopher Bailey. Bailey’s extremely influential tenure at Burberry — beginning in 2001 as Design Director then Creative Director in 2004, and from 2013 as CEO of the brand — has been credited with transforming the fortunes of the company.

Burberry was founded in 1856 by former draper's apprentice Thomas Burberry, who opened the first Burberry shop in Basingstoke. Known for producing outdoor clothing, in 1880 Burberry introduced gabardine, a hardwearing, water-resistant yet breathable fabric, in which the yarn is waterproofed before weaving. In 1911 they became the outfitters for Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, and Ernest Shackleton, who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica The company is now well known as a luxury British brand providing fashion, accessories, fragrances and cosmetics. In May 2001, British designer and RCA graduate Christopher Bailey, joined Burberry as creative director and is now Chief Creative Officer and CEO of the brand which also has a Royal Warrant. In 1914, Burberry was commissioned by the War Office to adapt its officer's coat to suit the conditions of contemporary warfare, resulting in what became known as the 'trench coat'. After the war, the trench coat became popular with civilians of both sexes and is now considered a design classic, synonymous with the brand. Although Burberry offer a wide range of clothing it is the trench coat design which is returned to and remodelled each season.

This coat dress deliberately subverts the original trench design by using impractical, feminine-coloured lace fabric, but retains many of the classic features such as the storm flap, wide lapels, self-fabric belt and wrist and shoulder straps. It was worn on the catwalk with matching lilac lace knickers, a lilac doeskin belt and contrasting green suede sandals. The belt was re-made for the V&A to match that worn on the catwalk. This ensemble, acquired 100 years after Burberry's first trench coat designs, reflects their continual reworking of the design. It was designed by Christopher Bailey, whose extremely influential tenure at Burberry - beginning in 2001 as Design Director then Creative Director in 2004, and from 2013 as CEO of the brand - has been credited with transforming the fortunes of the company.

T.158:1to3-2014