Mulberry is set to make a high-profile return to the London Fashion Week runway this month, marking a significant moment for the British luxury fashion house as it combines a new creative direction with signs of a strengthening financial performance.
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| Mulberry - Shot by Federico Radaelli |
The return to the runway is central to CEO Andrea Baldo’s “Back to the Mulberry Spirit” strategy, which aims to rebuild the ready-to-wear business alongside the brand’s established accessories offering.
The company will return to the London Fashion Week schedule on September 20, following a six-year absence. The show will present the first women's ready-to-wear collection designed by newly appointed Creative Director Christopher Kane, signalling a new chapter for the Somerset-based brand.
Kane's appointment is expected to bring a fresh creative perspective to Mulberry as the company seeks to reinforce its position as a leading British luxury label. His debut will be closely watched as the fashion industry assesses how his design language will translate across Mulberry's established leather-goods heritage and its wider ready-to-wear offer.
The runway return comes against a backdrop of improving financial results. Mulberry reported group revenue of £125.5 million for its latest financial year, representing a 4% increase. Pre-tax losses were reduced substantially to £8.9 million, compared with £32.2 million in the previous year.
The company also reported an improvement in gross margin to 72%, helped by a reduction in promotional discounting. The figures suggest that the business has been making progress towards improving the quality and profitability of its sales, rather than relying heavily on markdowns to drive demand.
That momentum appears to have continued into the opening quarter of the new financial year. Group revenue rose by 23% year on year, with wholesale and franchise revenue recording a particularly strong 56% increase.
The growth in wholesale and franchise business provides an encouraging indication of demand for the brand beyond its directly operated retail network and could give Mulberry greater scope to expand its international presence without relying solely on investment in company-owned stores.
At the same time, Mulberry is continuing to refine its physical retail footprint in the UK. The company has signed a lease for a new 979 sq ft boutique at Liverpool ONE, with the store scheduled to open in November 2026.
The new boutique will add to Mulberry's existing UK retail presence as the company focuses on what it describes as a more refined brick-and-mortar strategy. The Liverpool location also places the brand within one of the UK's major premium shopping destinations, extending its reach beyond London.
Further changes at board level are also planned. From September 9, Mulberry will appoint Sara Dickinson and Kenny Wilson as non-executive directors. Wilson, the former chief executive of Dr. Martens, brings extensive experience of international brand development and the publicly listed consumer sector, while Dickinson adds further industry expertise to the board.
Taken together, the changes point to a period of significant transition for Mulberry. The arrival of Kane, the return to the London Fashion Week runway, improving margins, a sharp reduction in losses and accelerating first-quarter revenue growth suggest that the company is attempting to establish a stronger platform for its next phase of development.
For the British luxury sector, Kane's September 20 debut is likely to be one of the key moments of the London Fashion Week schedule, providing an early indication of how Mulberry intends to balance its distinctive British heritage with a renewed fashion proposition.
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