• by Sarah Mahoney , September 28, 2026

Burberry is turning 170, and the luxury company is celebrating the occasion with a massive new campaign honoring its roots: a 170-portrait marketing effort highlighting the brand’s signature outerwear.

The “170: The Anniversary Portraits” campaign comes as the retailer’s financial transformation efforts are strengthening, with the best results coming from those outerwear classics. In announcing the results from the first quarter of fiscal 2027, the London-based company says the “Portraits of an Icon” campaign brought a 19% increase in new rainwear customers. That campaign also drew on a large cast, with 23 celebrities, including Jonathan Bailey, Kristin Scott Thomas, Matthew Macfadyen and Kate Moss all extolling their love for the company’s flagship trench.

Sales of all outerwear rose in the double digits in the quarter, driven by demand for heritage rainwear, lightweight jackets and seasonal products.

The new campaign, photographed by Jack Day and directed by Hector Aponysus, makes a strong case for the brand’s increasingly global appeal, featuring people in London, New York, Seoul and Shanghai.

It also shows how the brand strives to be known for so much more than that famous plaid. Only 10 Burberry outerwear styles are included, but the 170 portraits show how differently they can be worn. Portrait subjects include locals cast on the street, personalities from art, literature, sport and music, and members of the Burberry team.

“For 170 years, our outerwear has adapted to the weather and the way we dress,” said Daniel Lee, Burberry’s chief creative officer, in the campaign announcement. “Each portrait is different, but together they capture individuality and self-expression.”

Other luxury brands are struggling, with Bain & Co. forecasting total luxury sales will come in somewhere between flat and up 2% this year. Yet Burberry’s overall comparable store sales rose 5% in the quarter.

It did exceptionally well stateside, with same-store sales in the Americas rising 12%. China also fared well, up 9%, while Europe, the Middle East and Japan saw declines.

Women’s handbags have also returned to growth, and overall, Gen Z buyers are up in the double digits.

“For the first time in three years, we saw growth across our womenswear, menswear, accessories and childrenswear divisions, anchored by the outperformance of outerwear,” said Joshua Schulman, CEO, in the earnings announcement. “Our strategy is working. We are attracting a broad range of luxury customers across product categories, channels and geographies.”

Some observers are pleased with evidence that the company is recapturing some of its former glory.  Over the past decade, Burberry struggled to keep up with peers, writes Jelena Sokolova, an analyst who covers the company for Morningstar, in part due to a series of executional missteps. After years of mixed success trying to boost its leather business and fashion content, “Burberry is refocusing on its core products (outerwear and scarves) in marketing messages and merchandising, which we view positively.”

With the most recent quarter’s results showing early signs of success, she adds, “we believe Burberry can return to 4%-5% growth and double-digit margins in the long run.”