Reimagining the Burberry trench coat: Woolmark Australian wool meets British tradition

Explore the story of designer Burberry from the UK and find out how they created their look for The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange, 2018.

The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange looks at Australian High Commission, LondonCommonwealth Fashion Council

The Exchange: UK

For The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange 2018, Burberry reimagined their famous trench coat. The look was unveiled at Buckingham Palace on February 19, 2018, and later moved to the Australian High Commission, London, where it was open to the public in the run up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit, April 2018.

Close up of fabrics used by Burberry to create the look by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

UK: Designer Burberry

Founded in 1856, Burberry is a global luxury fashion house with a distinctive British identity. Heritage, craftsmanship and innovation are at the heart of the Burberry story, as embodied by the iconic trench coat, which over the years has been continuously reinterpreted, be it through fabric, colours or lengths.

Burberry's textile equipment used to create the look by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

The story behind the look

Burberry has designed a look created using the highest quality Australian Merino wool to create a reimagined trench coat. 

Burberry's sketch by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

Illustration of the look

Fabrics used by Burberry to create the look by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

Source of materials

The cotton lining for this trench is sourced through a supplier who like Burberry, are proud members of the Better Cotton Initiative which exists to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, the environment it grows in, the sector’s future.

Close up of fabric used by Burberry to create the look by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

The woollen trousers

The trench coat is accompanied by woollen trousers made with Oeko-Tex certified yarns.

Close up of the jumper neckline created by Burberry by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

The knitwear

The knitwear was created with non-mulesed wool.

Close up of the jumper created by Burberry by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

Suppliers and Manufacturers

The suppliers and manufacturers involved in creating the look are also part of Burberry’s vendor ownership programme which is a capacity building and training programme enabling them to manage the ethical performance of their downstream supply chain. In addition these partners are also involved in Burberry’s chemical management programme.

Close up of Burberry's look by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

Burberry's look by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

Burberry's look at Buckingham PalaceCommonwealth Fashion Council

Final look on display at Buckingham Palace, 19 February 2018

Burberry's look at Australian High Commission, London by BurberryCommonwealth Fashion Council

Final look on display at the Australian High Commission, London, 22 February 2018

Behind the Scenes of The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange 2018Commonwealth Fashion Council

Credits: Story

This content has been specifically curated for the Google Arts & Culture platform on behalf of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange exhibition that launched on the 19th of February at Buckingham Palace in partnership with Swarovski, The Woolmark Company and MATCHESFASHION.COM.

The project, created and managed by Eco-Age, with the support of The Commonwealth Fashion Council and The British Fashion Council.

More information about the images is available by clicking on them.
Read more about the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange at http://eco-age.com/commonwealth-fashion-exchange/

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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