Christopher Kane's Mulberry Debut Gives the Heritage Brand a Sharp New Direction
Mulberry's most recognisable signatures returned, stripped back and sharpened for a new era.
After nearly a decade off the London Fashion Week schedule, Mulberry made its runway return this afternoon under the new leadership of industry veteran Christopher Kane.
For many in fashion today, a first taste of fashion joy may well have come in the form of a Mulberry Bayswater bag. As synonymous with the 2010s as the ankle boots and skinny jeans worn alongside it, the British label has long held a particularly soft spot in the hearts of those who grew up with it. Its return to the LFW schedule was therefore always going to draw a crowd, bringing together some of the industry's biggest names for Kane's much-anticipated debut.
The collection was tempered and assured, honing in on a fabrication that has long been central to the house: leather. It appeared everywhere, from dresses, coats and skirts to trousers, lapels, bags and shoes, cut into structured silhouettes that echoed the precision of Mulberry's accessories. Bayswater-inspired cut-outs framed dresses and jackets, while a subdued palette of black, brown, cream and grey kept things refined against clean lines and decisive draping.
Far from frothy, the collection's pared-back palette and structured shapes gave it a distinctly practical sensibility, reflected in the leather goods that helped build Mulberry's reputation. XXL bags brought both humour and functionality, while vinyl trench coats and exaggerated, puffed-up hoods added a playful edge to the otherwise considered collection.
There was room for a little after-dark glamour, too, though strictly no glitter. Instead, iridescent dresses were sliced into clever layers, offering a more grown-up take on disco dressing that caught the light with every movement.
A confident return to the Mulberry spirit: distinctly British, deeply rooted in craft, and grounded in the pieces that made the house a fashion fixture in the first place. Under Kane, Mulberry is rediscovering what made it so beloved—and giving those signatures a sharper, more contemporary edge.
