How to dress like The Queen circa 1967, by way of Mulberry
Johnny Coca has just the remedy for the muted shade-averse for AW18: colour, and plenty of it. Just a fortnight after showing his boldly British SS18 collection in London (deck chair stripes, florals, pastels), he turned the eccentricity up a notch.
He looked to several decades from the 50s to the 80s for inspiration, with a particular focus on housewives and the Royal family - in fact his moodboard featured portraits of The Queen and Prince Philip at the time, and Princess Diana's polka dot and ruffle collar dress was also mentioned.
'This collection is an exploration of a different facet of British style. We've looked at the aristocrat, and the rebel - this woman is both. Impulsive, playful. It's an unexpected and distinctly British breed of beauty,' says Johnny Coca.
The result? A collection that successfully manages to blur the boundaries between the decades, between the formal and the casual, the eccentric and the classic.
Lush 70s neon floral suits sit alongside 60s hostess-with-the-mostess marabou-trimmed dance dresses, 80s ruffle polka dot blouses (Diana would've loved these) are teamed with boxy skirt suits. The coats come quilted with a bold floral motif, finished with gold thread, a nod to the 60s housewife dress of choice ('because even a housewife at home wants to look fabulous' Johnny says).
But the accessories are where the real party's at. There are socks with feather trimming, teamed with matching mules if you want to go for the full look. There are sequin slip-ons that wouldn't look out of place on the Studio 54 dancefloor, and velvet heels with baguette diamond heels (a favourite of Johnny's as they 'make you beautiful in a way').
As for the bags, well, it gets even bolder than the jewelled Lynton and striped Amberley. There some classics of course, such as the brown and mustard flap bag with croc detail, and then there are the fun and quirky alternatives.
The Amberley is covered in mint and gold sequins, then we have the metallic and neon quilted heart box bags which might as well have a Care Bear on them (Johnny, in case you need extra inspo), plus fluffy clutch bags for your next night out.
As Johnny puts it, next season is all about 'understanding the rules, in order to break them. It's about true personal style,' so make sure you get the memo.
