Burberry At 170: A Portrait Of The People Who Define Its Legacy

Burberry is marking 170 years of British fashion with 170: The Anniversary Portraits, a campaign that looks beyond the clothes to the people who have given the house its cultural significance. Photographed by Jack Day, with a campaign film directed by Hector Aponysus, the project brings together 170 individuals across London, New York, Seoul and Shanghai. Local residents appear alongside figures from music, art, sport, literature and fashion, including K-pop artist Crush, model Lila Moss, theatre director Jamie Lloyd, footballer Nico O’Reilly and basketball player OG Anunoby. By placing these personalities alongside everyday members of their communities and long-standing Burberry employees, the campaign presents the house as something shaped by the people who wear, make and interpret it. Its message is clear: a garment may carry 170 years of history, but its meaning continues to evolve with every individual who puts it on.

The decision to document four cities is particularly significant for a house whose identity has always been tied to Britain, yet whose influence extends far beyond it. Founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856, the company began with a practical ambition to create clothing capable of protecting people from unpredictable weather. In 1879, Burberry developed gabardine, a breathable, weather-resistant fabric that transformed the possibilities of outdoor clothing. That innovation helped establish the brand's reputation for technical ingenuity, with its outerwear subsequently associated with military service, exploration and everyday British life. The trench coat, developed through the house's history of supplying weatherproof garments, eventually became one of fashion's most enduring silhouettes. The anniversary campaign revisits this heritage through ten outerwear designs, from the Kensington and Waterloo trench coats to the Camden car coat, demonstrating how functionality can become an enduring expression of personal style.

Burberry's contribution to fashion, however, extends beyond the garments themselves. Its signature check has become one of the industry's most recognisable visual codes, while the trench coat has crossed boundaries between military utility, British tailoring, cinema, street culture and luxury fashion. Under Christopher Bailey, who joined the house in 2001, Burberry strengthened its contemporary identity through digital innovation, globally visible runway presentations and an early embrace of livestreaming fashion shows. Its Burberry Acoustic initiative also gave emerging British musicians a platform, reflecting a wider interest in the relationship between fashion and creative culture. Subsequent creative leadership, from Riccardo Tisci to Daniel Lee, has continued to interpret the house's established codes for changing audiences. The anniversary portraits build on this history by recognising that heritage is not sustained by archives alone, but by the ability of a brand to remain relevant to the people who encounter it.

At 170, Burberry's campaign offers a considered perspective on what longevity means in an industry driven by constant change. Instead of relying solely on a retrospective of famous collections or landmark runway moments, the house places its community in the foreground, allowing different generations, professions and cultural backgrounds to express their own relationship with its designs. The four cities also acknowledge the different ways British luxury is understood and worn around the world, while maintaining a connection to the brand's origins. For Burberry, the challenge is to preserve the qualities that made it distinctive while allowing its symbols to acquire new meanings. 170: The Anniversary Portraitsmakes that balance its central idea: a trench coat can carry the weight of history without being confined by it, and a heritage house can honour its past by giving the people who shape its present a place in the story.