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London Fashion week: tradition meets modernity at Mulberry

The Mulberry fashion house presented its fall/winter 2017-2018 collection on Sunday, February 19, mixing styles, eras and materials in a collection introducing a more urban than usual look. The label's characteristic codes -- British aristocrat and equestrian styles -- were updated and modernized to suit the lives of busy, modern women.

Classic creations passed from generation to generation, adding a new texture, a decorative feature, or a detail to refresh and update the style for each new era. Mulberry has used its own identity as a starting point for the fall/winter 2017-2018 collection, reworking classics inspired by the history and culture of Great Britain and its aristocracy.

"It's about making something traditional feel new, taking these archetypal British styles, and making them feel right for today," said Johnny Coca, the label's creative director.

The label mixes the aristo country-life look with fresh, urban style. This is channeled with lace, silk, tweeds, plus nature-inspired prints and embroideries evoking the English countryside. These notably feature wild animals (eagles, rabbits) finished in relief. The mix of styles also sees heavy, warm outdoor pieces, with lots of padded styles, paired with floaty, lightweight dresses often finished with frills.

Equestrian style revisited

Equestrian style is another Mulberry favorite, firmly rooted in the English countryside, that Johnny Coca has placed at the heart of this winter collection. For FW17, the style is refreshed and modernized with a more urban feel. Skirts come with asymmetrical cuts -- evoking side-saddle riding -- and are matched with belted jackets and fluid, highly-feminine blouses, bringing a softer touch to the look.

The palette mostly stays faithful to the label's signatures, with lots of red, caramel, rust, golden yellow and green shades. This is lifted by softer hues such as mauve, mint green and periwinkle.

A series of new handbags, evoking vintage luggage styles, completes the ready-to-wear collection. A new version of the iconic "Bayswater" bag has also been reworked with padded details for the occasion.