Mulberry has been without a creative director since 2013, and the label has also been the subject of persistent gossip regarding sluggish sales and the departure of its CEO. With that backdrop, today's Resort show was a positive surprise. Head of design Frances Stringer took inspiration from Kew Gardens (one of London's most treasured parks) and played off the enduring British obsession with gardens, making reference to lush overgrowth, wicker, canopies of green, and ticking stripe.
The show started with a silk georgette dress in a rich ivy green. Its lattice pattern mimicked the ironwork so often found in English gardens, and the silhouette was flowy yet flattering. ("We were thinking about girls who are not self-conscious," remarked Stringer.) Then came a regal creamy tuxedo suit in a canvas mohair weave, evoking Marlene Dietrich sipping Pimm's at an English summer garden party. Colors like "dusty Coraline" (muted orange) and "camomile" (yellow) were introduced, the latter on a jacket shaped like a regimental uniform. Highlights included a merino wool sweater that felt like silk and a reversible sweater-vest. A figure-flattering jacket in fil coupe had a superb drape detail on the waist and featured a gently embossed leaf pattern as the base, flecked with a petal in mid-fall.
Mulberry is known for leather, and a latticed kimono coat, a skater dress, and a biker jacket were all featherweight. The handbag range designed by Eva Sneve was also impressive: The Blossom and the Darcie bags are new additions, and there was a very clever finish on a Cara bag—a blink-and-you'll-miss-it camouflage pattern. (Incidentally, the leather was sourced from the same tannery that supplies the British military.) After a rough patch, things seem to be improving for Mulberry: The accessory collection is expanding, they've opened a second factory in Somerset, and there are plans to open nineteen stores in the next twelve months, including in Las Vegas and Dallas.
