Mulberry brings a touch of the classic seaside summer to the catwalks of London Fashion Week

22nd September 2011

Categories: Press Releases - Latest

With London Fashion Week in full swing, it seems that Mulberry’s mind is away from the city and set in the seaside, as the Blackpool Illuminations inspired their Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

The Claridge’s hotel was transformed into the fairground funhouse we all love and remember from summer holidays gone by, complete with balloon animals and beach balls for this quintessentially British brand. Sherbet shades, summer dresses and carousel-print jumpsuits were sashayed down a catwalk lined with the classic 99 to truly celebrate the best of the British summer.

This is not the first time Blackpool has been used as a high fashion setting. Northern darling Karen Elson, an English rose labelled by Karl Lagerfeld as a ‘’beauty for the new millennium’’, graced the pages of American Vogue in 2003 as she was captured bathing upon the Boardwalk.

Famed photographer Corinne Day shot Kate Moss during her meteoric rise to fashion fame in 2001, an obscure shoot for a Dutch magazine which depicted Moss in a classic pier-side Blackpool setting with a retro feel that captured the heart of the city.

‘Blackpool’s Leading Lady’ the Funny Girls, have also had their taste of high fashion when they were invited to open the show for designer and political fashion activist Katharine Hamnett at her 2000 Milan show. The designer best known for her statement t-shirts including ‘Frankie Say’, worn by hosts of stars, made another statement in launching her collection with Blackpool’s legendary burlesque act.

Natalie Wyatt, Head of visitBlackpool said, "Blackpool is undergoing a renaissance with exciting new regeneration along the promenade including new public event space opposite the iconic Blackpool Tower plus the refurbishment of some it its most famous venues such as the architecturally stunning Winter Gardens. This combined with the 'kitsch' of the traditional seaside, makes a fantastic backdrop for fashion shoots, and we are delighted to be an inspiration for a classic brand such as Mulberry.

"The destination is also extremely popular with video shoots, films and dramas linking in with the traditional seaside theme where producers have praised how unique the architecture of our venues are coupled with the fantastic light from our coastal location.”

It is obvious, as with all classics, that Blackpool will bring inspiration to many a fashion icon for years to come. In the meantime we can indulge in the candyfloss colours and seaside festivities of Mulberry’s latest collection.

For this fresh look at Blackpool go to visitblackpool.com, and discover the inspirations that strike these ultimate fashion figures.

Click here to see the Marie Claire Show Report