Mulberry: Pre SS15

Ever since Emma Hill left her role at Mulberry (she was the label’s creative director until 2013), everyone’s been wondering what’s next for the brand. There have been suggestions that prices will come back down to what they used to be, but nothing is certain yet. There will be no London Fashion Week shows until Hill has been replaced, but last week we got a glimpse of the direction that Mulberry might be moving in.

The design team quietly unveiled their collection for Pre Spring Summer 2015, after drawing inspiration from a day of sketching and photography in Kew Garden. “In the absence of a creative director, we wanted to keep it really British” said Francis Stringer, Mulberry’s head of womenswear.

And British it is, in a feminine, garden party sort of way. There were a few pairs of slim fit trousers, but it was mostly knee length skirts and dresses in lemon yellows, dusky blues and navy. My favourite look was a delicate, streamlined overcoat in creamy yellow, paired with a matching tote and silk scarf. There were stripes and latticework, but overall it felt simplified and refined: a look at what Mulberry’s DNA really is.

And a big part of that DNA is the accessories, with this presentation proving no exception. As well as the large, single-handle totes, there were swinging purses and leather shoppers – all minimal, but recognisably Mulberry. It was a definite step away from the boxy Del Ray or the tomboy Cara collection, without cutting off those designs completely: it looks like we won’t know much more about Mulberry’s new direction until a fresh creative director arrives.