Fun fact: Kensington Palace and Mulberry HQ are practically neighbors in London. On most mornings before work, creative director Johnny Coca sees ducks running around Kensington Gardens—and also swans, creatures that hold a special place in the United Kingdom: Under British law, all swans in open water are owned by the Her Majesty, and there is an 800-year-old annual tradition of counting them. All that is to say, the feathered print in the new collection, which appears on soft chiffon dresses and pleated silk skirts, was directly inspired by the Spanish-born designer’s working habitat.
The other motifs in the collection—checks, plaids—pulled from a more instantly recognizable lexicon of British heritage fabrics. Like many designers in London this season, Coca had been exploring the line between anarchy and tradition. Still, his idea of punk is admittedly on the tame side—think: a moto jacket cut from technical tartan or a cropped black skirtsuit covered with metal grommets.
Mulberry is the latest luxury brand to jump on the fashion sneaker, and the new collection had an unexpectedly sporty streak. Their new printed puffer coats were covered in ’70s-style men’s tie motifs and were a charming take on the popular outerwear trend.
There were precious few airs and graces in the accessories department either. Of the new styles on offer, the unstructured, unlined handbags were the strongest. With detachable gold chains and soft dimensions, the “Iris” was a modern reimagining of a classic lady bag. They seemed nicely suited to a minimalist notion of British elegance. In other words, fit for a certain American-born duchess.
