Claridges Ballroom was transformed into a fantastical rural retreat, complete with birdsong, sleeping foxes and giant toadstools, ready for the arrival of Mulberry’s country girl.
The Mulberry show is a cherished highlight of the London Fashion Week schedule, as it is one of the few British brands that celebrates the English Eccentric.
After a few days of skeletal sternness on the catwalk, Mulberry warmed our hearts with woodland creatures, catwalk pooches, blackcurrant fruit juice and adorable toadstool cupcakes with radioactively bright red frosting.
Leading on from last season’s Secret Garden collection, the Mulberry girl gets back to her country roots and reacquaints herself with Roald Dahl’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.
Inspired by Mulberry’s hunting, shooting and fishing heritage, the Autumn/Winter 11-12 collection is full of outerwear for country pursuits, albeit with luxe gold details from the new Tillie bag.
Staying true to the decadently dishevelled look, the Mulberry girl leaves the family pile for a ramble, throwing on a trusty duffle coat over an exquisite gold lamé, knife-pleat evening gown.
An autumnal palette of Mole Grey, Fox Brown, Conker and Red Onion was at play with accents of Bright Cabbage, Hedgehog Bronze, Foxglove Pink and Lavender.
Chunky corduroy duffle coats with matching a-line skirts appeared alongside quilted satin dresses embellished with floral sequins and prim knife-pleat silk collared dresses covered in Mulberry’s peace and love print.
A stand out look was a fuchsia silk drop-waist dresses under a boxy plum tweed blazer – a juxtaposition of matronly and girly.
Those who have invested in shearling jackets will be pleased to know that they’re here to stay, as well as macs, fuzzy gilets, shooting jackets and swing coats.
Mulberry certainly has the flesh under lock and key for Autumn/Winter with buttoned up collars, skirts that sit on the knee or the ground and sumptuous polo neck knits. Even when the old gal does shows a bit of leg, they are encased in scholarly ribbed knee socks that may or may not have been pinched from a teasing, raffish brother.
Seduction came from the smooth, silken, ever so slightly wind-swept locks created by Sam McKnight.
The next season looks were completed with Bayswaters embellished with adorable fox rivets, over-sized Alexas, current favourite the Tillie and the insanely covetable new Taylor bag.
Our furry friends will also be well equipped for the cold/front row with the rather stylish Tillie quilted dog mac or the Fisherman dog coat, complete with all of the same posh hardware.
Warning: such doggy apparel could make your pampered pooch feel so fierce that they try to start a rumble with a Pomeranian by-stander…poor Butters!
Catwalk images by Mulberry and venue photos by Chérie City.