Mulberry and Kane are back with a celebration of 60’s-modernist simplicity

It’s several years since either Mulberry or Christopher Kane have shown at London Fashion Week and in the intervening period, Kane shut down his label and Mulberry exited RTW. With both being popular names on earlier LFW schedules, it meant their joint comeback was the most keenly anticipated show on the calendar for SS27. 

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So what did we get from Kane (and from his sister Tammy who’s his long-time collaborator)? Not his signature amped up sex appeal and love of hot colour. This was a more muted collection but that was far from unexpected as it needed to be perfectly at ease with Mulberry (which is, after all, primarily a leather goods label).

But there was still enough to grab headlines. The first impression was that the 1960’s was a big influence — think mini lengths and body-skimming cuts for horizontal tiered dresses and skirts, geometric coats and suits. 

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Don’t assume that this was full-on swinging London 60’s-style though. The slim-cut skirts with V-neck knits and neat skirt suits (great in matte or croc leather) hinted at clothes people really wore 60 years ago but brought them into the 21st century.

Also nodding to that decade was an orange anorak, Kane’s one concession to vivid colour in a collection where the palette was dominated by toned-down shades of grey, white, blue, beige, black, and lemon (plus mulberry, of course).

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Particularly important were the details that linked this ready-to-wear offer closely to the label’s handbag heritage. Kane gave us deep ‘crenellations’ cut into hems, collars, necklines, coat and jacket edges. These all referenced the flap of a bag, especially Mulberry’s famous Bayswater. It’s as if every dress, skirt, coat and jacket reminds you that you really must pick up (or perhaps buy if you haven’t already got one) your Bayswater.

And that’s quite a clever way to remind us that this is a Mulberry collection because logos, while spotted on a couple of sweat tops, were otherwise nowhere to be seen.

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What’s interesting is that Mulberry’s earlier succession of RTW designers were actually more specialists in accessories but didn’t draw such strong links between the clothes and the bags. Kane, primarily an RTW designer, has clearly referenced the products that are where Mulberry makes its money and that will remain so, even with the RTW revival.

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It certainly makes us wonder whether future collections will see references to the rest of the bags portfolio — the Stevie, the Alexa, the Roxanne, the Hackney and so many more. For now though, we’re left with a good first collection that promises much more to come.