V&A's Fashion Gallery will get Burberry makeover
- maxwell museums
- Mar 31
- 2 min read
The V&A is to close its Fashion Gallery — so it can have a Burberry glow-up.
The gallery is one of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s largest dedicated permanent galleries but it will shut for two years from May 2025 for major renovations — the first it's had since 1962.
The space will reopen in spring 2027 as The Burberry Gallery, as part of a “multi-year partnership” between the major fashion house and the South Kensington museum.
In a statement it's promised that the gallery will be transformed into "a spectacular and participatory space that will inspire visitors and enable them to experience the V&A’s fashion collection in innovative and exciting ways."
V&A Director Tristram Hunt said the museum and Burberry were both “pillars of British fashion” and that they were “hugely honoured to display the Burberry name above one of the very greatest fashion galleries in the world.”
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Burberry Chief Executive Officer Joshua Schulman said this new collaboration "unites two centuries-old cultural icons with a shared legacy of heritage and innovation, and a commitment to championing creativity in all its forms." He added they will "develop an immersive space that will inspire creative minds for generations to come.”
The renovations will also see the temporary exhibition gallery which sits at heart of the space also close. It's most recently hosted the retrospective of supermodel Naomi Campbell.
The V&A’s fashion collection is designated as the UK’s National Collection and is one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of dress in the world. Items in the collection include rare historical treasures such as 17th century menswear garments to cutting-edge contemporary couture from across the world.
The vast range of items have been a source of inspiration for numerous fashion designers from Vivienne Westwood to Alexander McQueen to Molly Goddard and Rahemur Rahman, as well as students and researchers.
The news comes as the museum gears up to host its Cartier jewelry blockbuster exhibition and follows the announcement that new trustees have been appointed, including broadcaster Vick Hope.
And fashion lovers shouldn't worry, there'll be plenty of eye-catching garments from the V&A's collection in the upcoming Marie Antoinette Style exhibition opening in September.