By Chioma Nnadi
Mulberry creative director Johnny Coca has drawn on Britain's aristocratic traditions for inspiration in the past (high tea rituals, English country garden parties, the Royal Ascot, and so on), but this season he looked towards a significant countercultural movement in the nation's history, namely swinging '60s London. That mood was instantly defined by a thigh-grazing mini look and glorious psychedelic patterns, specifically marble prints, a more refined version of the tie-dye motifs that have popping up everywhere. Coca's mood board was populated by all the most familiar people and places of the era—Penelope Tree, Twiggy, Carnaby Street and King's Road in London.
The mod-style shapes were a far cry from the oversize aesthetic of Coca's debut, though the neat silhouette seemed in step with Mulberry's leather-goods heritage overall. Coca took a '60s approach to the accessories, too, with neat box bags furnished with appealing quirky trimmings. There were larger, graphic hobo styles for those who are ready to ditch the mini-bag trend for the foreseeable future.
Mulberry produces 60 percent of its bags in the U.K. and between its two factories it's now able to create a larger selection for limited-edition capsule collections. The artisanal and highly Instagrammable touches of those pieces are likely to attract a new generation of fashion magpies.
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