Simply Abu Dhabi XIII

2 3 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Mulberry Spring/Summer 2014 T heMulberry Spring/Summer 2014 collectionmarks the end of Emma Hill’s tenure as creative director for the luxury British brand. As such, it revisits 'Le Style Anglais' with its laid back interpretation of English heritage. A fitting send-off to the woman who elevated the luxury bag-maker to an international brand and ready-to- wear line, the Spring/Summer 2014 Mulberry show celebrates Hill’s luxe and modern take on classic English tropes. Despite it being her last, the Spring/Summer show was not a sad one. If anything, it felt more like a celebration of her reign, and indeed of all things English. Staged in London’s legendary Claridge’s Hotel, the catwalk was reminiscent of a stately home, down to the moss, ivy and roses. In tribute to the proper English tradition of Afternoon Tea, guests were served miniature sandwiches and pastries piled decadently on tiered cake stands. And in a humourous twist, one model was even accompanied down the catwalk by an English bulldog sporting a waistcoat in the same jacquard print as the model’s. Both town and country, the collection is influenced by modern overtones from Sixties London, juxtaposed with the opulence of a quintessential English country house and gardens. Many of Mulberry’s signatures can be seen: pea coats, pyjama-inspired suits, floral silk dresses. And of course – what put Mulberry on the fashion map – a sophisticated range of luxury handbags, clutches, and envelope shaped portfolios, rendered in softest leather and available in a variety of colours and finishes. An apt tribute to the woman who made Mulberry what it is today, the collection embraces both familiarity andmodernity, working with classic prints and textures reinterpreted to create new signatures imbued with Mulberry's inherent British wit.