To an audience that included Anna Wintour, Natalie Massanet, Juno Temple and Alexa Chung, Emma Hill unveiled what is to be her final collection for Mulberry, as she steps down from her six-year role as the brand's creative director.
For her swansong, the designer - who has been credited with turning the Somerset-based brand into an international fashion powerhouse - held a thoroughly British affair, as the iconic ballroom at Claridge's was transformed into an English garden party, complete with daisy-studded astroturf, ivy trellises and afternoon-tea canapés.
The showcase, opened and closed by model Cara Delevingne, was a breath of fresh air to its wind-chilled attendees, with a palette of cool spring whites, poppy reds and earthy neutrals.
Sweet A-line day dresses cut from silvery jacquard and floral brocade featured alongside printed silk pyjama suits, light peacoats and sheer striped knits, all worn with column-heeled contrast sandals, while silk shifts were embroidered with bright wildflowers.
But the real stars of the show were Mulberry's long-favoured signatures - the accessories, including Bayswater handbags and envelope clutches; butter soft leathers crafted into long culottes and A-line coats; and the obligatory catwalk pooch (this season, a British bulldog named Turbo. Naturally).
