'Rooted in a shared connection to Yorkshire': Burberry partners with Leeds Beckett University to support young fashion designers
As Burberry announces a landmark formal partnership with Leeds Beckett University, Yorkshire Post fashion editor Stephanie Smith finds out how the luxury brand is honouring its 170-year heritage by nurturing young British talent.
Thomas Burberry was just 21 years old in 1856 when he founded the weather-busting clothing company that would become a globally-renowned luxury fashion house. This year, as the British brand celebrates its 170th anniversary, it announces a collaboration that nurtures young designers of today, and tomorrow.
Burberry’s new formal partnership with Leeds Beckett University and its BA (Hons) Fashion Design course will see new opportunities for students to gain a first-hand, informed insight into industry, and develop those vital skills they need to thrive in the UK and worldwide creative sector.
Building on the success of a pilot programme launched in 2024, this partnership, says Burberry, is “rooted in a shared connection to Yorkshire”, bringing together its heritage of craftsmanship and innovation with Leeds Beckett University’s expertise in developing emerging creative talent.
The brand adds that the collaboration reinforces its commitment to supporting the future of British design – and reflects Burberry’s longstanding presence in the region, with major manufacturing sites in Castleford and Keighley, while Burberry’s office in Leeds city centre is home to the company’s Business Support Services, and a hub for global and regional operations.
There is hands-on, practical support for students, with real-life challenges. As part of LBU’s flagship tailoring project, second-year students undertook a live industry brief called Reinventing the Trench: A Study in Craft and Form, requiring them to redesign and construct the Burberry trench coat using surplus gabardine – the pioneering lightweight, weatherproof yet breathable fabric invented by Thomas Burberry in 1879, and woven today at its mill in Keighley.
Burberry’s gabardine trench coats are then made at the Burberry Castleford factory, each coat requiring more than 190 individual construction processes.
In February, the students presented their reinvented trench coat designs at the Castleford site, where they were judged by Burberry colleagues, who gave the Judges’ Choice Award to Juliet Skaife for The Jetty Trench, a reimagining of the Burberry Heritage trench coat inspired by the iconic silhouettes of the 1970s hippie era.
Juliet used creative pattern cutting to achieve distinctive, unconventional shapes, with classic Burberry trench features such as epaulettes, a storm shield and gun flaps, with removable ‘PEACE’ and ‘LOVE’ shoulder pieces.
“Winning the award is incredibly affirming,” says Juliet. “It reassures me that I’m on the right path and that my work is at an industry level.”
The People’s Choice award was given to Riyna Khan for The ReVe Brontë Trench, an exploration of 19th-century women’s fashion centred around the Brontë sisters, merging their dark themes with the pinched waistlines and bustling full skirts that were prominent during that time – with the aim of being marketed towards consumers of both K-pop and literature. Riyna says: “It left me feeling incredibly proud, because of the time, effort and hours I dedicated to making the trench coat. It really felt like my hard work had paid off.”
Both winners will have the opportunity to undertake work experience at Burberry’s Castleford site. Sam Hudson-Miles, course director for BA (Hons) Fashion Design at Leeds Beckett University, says: “By responding to a live brief inspired by the Burberry trench coat, students are challenged to develop their own design voice and hone their pattern cutting and garment construction skills while gaining insight into the craftsmanship, heritage and innovation that underpin this project. Experiences like this play an important role in preparing the next generation of creative talent for their future careers.”
This year Burberry has begun a two-year renovation of its Castleford facility, reinforcing its commitment to making trench coats in the UK and preserving British craftsmanship.
For final year students, the Burberry partnership evolves into professional guidance and mentorship on their graduate collections, helping to refine both their creative and professional practice. In May, the students’ final garments and portfolios were judged by colleagues from Burberry and showcased at Leeds Beckett University’s City Campus Fashion Studio through the 2026 graduate Atelier show.
The 2026 Burberry Award, which recognises exceptional work, was presented to April Charlesworth, who won an embroidered gabardine certificate and a coveted paid internship at Burberry’s Castleford factory.
April’s collection demonstrated the symbiosis between historical art and fashion, combining the mending method of Kintsugi in response to the sustainability agenda. “I am thrilled and very grateful to have been given the chance to work alongside Burberry’s team in the upcoming six months,” April says. “To gain experience within such a heritage and respected company is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Burberry chief people officer, Alexandra McCauley, says: “Yorkshire has long been an important part of Burberry’s story, and we are proud to support the next generation of creative talent in the region.
“Through our partnership with Leeds Beckett University, we are creating opportunities for emerging designers to develop their skills, gain industry experience and build meaningful connections with the luxury fashion industry.
“By investing in local talent today, we are helping to strengthen the future of British craftsmanship, manufacturing and creativity for years to come.”