What’s Trending In British Luxury News? February 2026
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1 month ago
From Stella McCartney's après-ski capsule to Twiggy's latest modelling gig for Burberry, here's all the luxury news you might have missed this February
Best of British: stay up-to-date with everything happening in homegrown luxury this month. Here’s all the British luxury news for February 2026.
British Luxury News: February 2026
Holland Cooper Presents Racing Legends Ahead Of Cheltenham Festival
Are you ready for the races? Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner, which means it’s time to dig out the tweeds, pull on your finest pair of boots and layer up for a day outdoors. (It is Britain, after all.) And those seeking some last-minute wardrobe inspiration can look no further than Holland Cooper, the Official Luxury Fashion Partner of The Jockey Club.
And this year, to celebrate this ongoing partnership, Holland Cooper invited a group of racing legends to the brand’s new headquarters to capture them in a series of photographic portraits.
In the mix were legendary jockeys Ruby Walsh, Harry Cobden, Daryl Jacob, Richard Johnson, Nico de Boinville and Jonjo O’Neill, alongside leading sports broadcasters Alice Plunkett, Aly Vance, Luke Harvey and Ed Chamberlin, and the youngest Shetland Pony-winning star, Olivia Eglise-Freud.
‘With Holland Cooper’s headquarters rooted in Cheltenham, I will always have an affinity with National Hunt racing and the Cheltenham Festival,’ said brand founder Jade Holland Cooper. ‘Racing Legends cements our relationship with the people at the heart of the sport and with The Jockey Club, while continuing our tradition of capturing distinctive personalities in British-made tailoring.’
You can see all of the portraits at hollandcooper.com
Boodles Helps The British Museum Acquire The Tudor Heart
It’s not everyday a piece of history, once believed to be lost, is unearthed by a member of the public – but that’s just what happened back in 2019, when an amateur detectorist stumbled across the Tudor Heart in a Warwickshire field.
The heart-shaped pendant is noted as one of the biggest post-medieval finds in recent history, with direct links to King Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Thought to have been created in 1518, the front of the historic piece of jewellery features a Tudor rose entwined with a pomegranate bush – Katherine’s personal emblem – alongside an inscription saying ‘all yours’ in old French. On the back, meanwhile, are the engraved initials ‘H’ and ‘K’, suggesting the pendant was to celebrate the royal couple’s union.
The Tudor Heart © The Trustees of the British Museum
With many of the objects connected to Katherine of Aragon now incredibly rare – most are thought to be lost or destroyed – the Tudor Heart is a very special piece of history.
The Tudor Heart was recently acquired by the British Museum, with support from Boodles. The jeweller contributed, via its charitable trust, to the museum’s appeal so that the pendant could remain in the public sphere for generations to come.
‘For Boodles, as a British jeweller, supporting this acquisition feels like a natural way to celebrate our heritage,’ said Honour Wainwright, Marketing Director at Boodles. ‘It feels fitting to help ensure this remarkable piece of history and craftsmanship stays on home turf, where it can be admired and appreciated by everyone, not hidden away in a private collection.’
The Tudor Heart is now on display at the British Museum, in Room 2: Collecting The World.
boodles.com | britishmuseum.org
Bella Freud Launches New Capsule For The National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery’s latest exhibition, Lucien Freud: Drawing into Painting, has just opened its doors to the public – and to celebrate, the gallery has teamed up with British designer Bella Freud on a brand new capsule collection for its gift shop.
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Titled ‘Everything is a Portrait’, the capsule of tote bags, t-shirts and accessories features handwriting and a sketch by Lucian Freud, taken from the artist’s notebooks now held in the National Portrait Gallery’s archive. These join the slogan phrase ‘Everything is a Portrait’, a quote by the artist that has been rendered in the designer’s recognisable handwritten style.
Available now at the National Portrait Gallery and at npgshop.org.uk
John Smedley Collaborates With Wales Bonner On Knitwear Capsule
Will this be another big year for fashion collaborations? It seems so. The next one on our radar comes from heritage label John Smedley and designer Grace Wales Bonner, who have teamed up on a knitwear capsule.
Many of us have had our eye on this creative partnership for a while – ever since the two worked together on a series of bespoke pieces for Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Met Gala. Bonner visited the historic John Smedley mill in Derbyshire as part of the process, taking the time to explore its 240-year-strong archive.
In the months following this exchange, the two came together once more – this time on the aforementioned knitwear capsule, which made its debut during the SS26 edition of Paris Fashion Week.
John Smedley x Wales Bonner
The collaboration also forms part of John Smedley’s plans to inspire more brands to make their goods closer to home. The label re-opened its production lines to brands for seasonal orders last year, in partnership with the Board of Trade, the British Fashion Council and the UK Fashion and Textiles Association.
‘John Smedley has long admired Grace Wales Bonner’s design aesthetic and values,’ said Jess Mcguire-Dudley, managing director at John Smedley. ‘When re-opening our third-party manufacturing, our ambition was to collaborate with brands – both local and international – who truly appreciate our Made in England heritage and who could push the boundaries of knitwear. Grace’s blend of integrity and creativity alongside our history of authenticity and craftsmanship makes for a seamless partnership. We’re thrilled to bring this project to life.’
The Wales Bonner x John Smedley collection is live now, at walesbonner.com and johnsmedley.com
Twiggy Is The Face Of Burberry’s Summer 2026 Campaign
‘Music pushes boundaries, blurs lines and defines the codes of fashion. It is about self-expression, originality and belonging.’ These were the words spoken by Daniel Lee, chief creative officer of Burberry, when he presented his collection at London Fashion Week back in September. Inspired by the UK’s vibrant live music scene, Lee dove into the sartorial codes we associate with concerts, festivals and the music scenes of decades past – weaving them into a collection that felt fun, fresh and, most importantly, British at its core.
Burberry Summer 2026
And while it’s been a bit of a wait to see the collection move from runway to stores, the day has finally come: Burberry’s Summer 2026 collection is finally live, and it comes with a killer campaign. Starring British model, actor and 60s icon Twiggy, alongside models Sonny Ashcroft, Filip Bryndza, Sora Choi, Albert Cocker, Ella Dalton, Shuqi Lan, Ahmed Richards, Raika Sales and Maya Wigram, the campaign thrums with the same electric energy as the catwalk.
Underpinning the collection is a renewed reverence for craft and texture, with hand-crocheted and embroidered party dresses, artisanal knitwear (think noughties skinny scarves with exaggerated fringing), kilts decorated in the classic Burberry check and tactile finishes secured with beads, mirrored tiles and links of crocheted leather. These details are offset by mod-like silhouettes, highlighted in this season’s tailoring.
Burberry Summer 2026
Outerwear, meanwhile, takes an archival turn with brand new rainwear signatures: the Summerside, Rayne and Isleworth trenches, all inspired by a 1927 Burberry coat. Rain, in fact, is central to the collection – after all, it wouldn’t be a summer festival without a bit of bad weather – with printed trench coats, silk bomber jackets and oversized parkas coming in waxed cotton, denim finished with a foil coating, and even wet-look raincoats cut from cotton and raffia-effect.
The Burberry Summer 2026 collection is now live at burberry.com
Sanderson Teams Up With The National Trust For Second Collection
The UK is home to a sprawling network of country homes, estates and manors – all famed for their coveted interiors and antique decor. And if you count yourself a fan of these historical English interiors, you’re in luck. Sanderson has just dropped its second collaboration with the National Trust, bringing to life a series of fabrics inspired by the charity’s very own Brockhampton Estate.
Marking 600 years of the estate and 75 years of its care under the Trust, the collection draws on the stately home’s heritage – in particular, its medieval manor and sprawling orchards. Think fabrics decorated in forest scenes, harvest fruits – a nod to the 700 trees reintroduced to the orchard, now flourishing with apples, pears and damsons – and wildflowers.
And with the sale of Sanderson x National Trust Volume II, the interior design house has promised that a minimum of £95,000 will go to the National Trust to help in its goal to look after nature, beauty and history for everyone.
The Sanderson x National Trust Volume II collection is available now at sanderson.design
Stella McCartney Unveils Après-Ski Collection – Just In Time For The Winter Olympics
If the ongoing Winter Olympics don’t inspire a love for skiing, snowboarding or ice skating, Stella McCartney’s latest capsule just might. The designer, inspired by the spirit of modern alpine and her enduring love for equine, has created an après-ski collection designed for both slopes and streets.
Placing ski style under a nostalgic lens, the collection is underpinned by chunky Fairisle knits, cosy scarves and beanies, as well as fleece-lined snow boots, logo bags, Falabella totes and bucket hats. As always, the wool used for each piece is RWS or RAS certified – meaning it is fully traceable and produced to high ethical standards – with cashmere coming from Re.Verso™ recycled cashmere (made from pre-consumer production waste and has seven-times less environmental impact than virgin cashmere).
Available now at stellamccartney.com
Stella McCartney
