V&A Fashion Gallery to be transformed in partnership with Burberry

The Fashion Gallery at London's V&A Museum will be closed in May to allow for a two-year transformation to take place in partnership with British luxury house Burberry.

Set to re-open in spring 2027, the new "spectacular and participatory" space will be known as The Burberry Gallery. Its re-opening will also be complemented by a wide-ranging activity programme onsite, offline and online, "offering a world-class learning experience and greater access to fashion education for all".

The V&A Fashion Gallery was last structurally redeveloped in 1962 and remains one of the museum’s most visited and largest dedicated permanent gallery spaces. Recent popular exhibitions have included ‘Fashioned from Nature’, ‘Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear’ and more recently ‘NAOMI: In Fashion’, all of which showcased Burberry items.

The V&A Fashion Gallery (Courtesy: V&A Burberry)

Once re-opened, The Burberry Gallery will continue to display a world-class fashion collection spanning five centuries and designs from a multitude of both brands and individuals. It is the latest initiative from Burberry to support arts and culture both at home and abroad. In the past it has supported the British Pavilion for La Biennale di Venezia and the Royal Academy for the Thomas Burberry Prize. The brand also presented its latest Winter 2025 catwalk collection at Tate Britain and its Summer 2025 runway collection at the National Theatre, both in London.

Burberry CEO Joshua Schulman said the latest move marked "a milestone moment for British arts and culture". Schulman said: "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."

V&A director Tristram Hunt added: "Founded in the same decade, for over 150 years the V&A and Burberry have been pillars of British fashion. Global in our reach, whilst champions of UK art and design, we share a commitment to ensuring our proud heritage inspires the next generation of creatives. 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. The V&A is hugely honoured to display the Burberry name above one of the very greatest fashion galleries in the world."

The V&A’s Fashion Gallery will close on Sunday 4 May to begin a period of redevelopment and reopen in spring 2027. Access to the V&A’s fashion collection continues to be available at V&A East Storehouse, opening 31 May 2025, and online at vam.ac.uk.

Main image: Tristram Hunt of the V&A and Joshua Schulman of Burberry (Courtesy: V&A and Burberry)