Mulberry Names Christopher Kane Creative Director, Ending Six-Year RTW Hiatus

Mulberry's six-year absence from women's ready-to-wear ended with a pointed hire: Christopher Kane, whose four British Fashion Awards and career built on productive contradiction between lace negligees and Crocs on the runway, was named creative director of a new women's clothing collection. The debut is set for September 2026, with the line landing in-store and online in January.

The appointment is framed internally as the next step in Mulberry's "Back to the Mulberry Spirit" strategy, focused on creativity, craft, enriching brand culture, and restoring sales growth. CEO Andrea Baldo was direct about what drew him to Kane. "Welcoming Christopher marks an important moment for Mulberry as we open a new chapter for ready-to-wear," Baldo said. "He brings a rare combination of creativity, intellectual rigor and instinctive playfulness, alongside a deep respect for craft and materials."

For Kane, it is his highest-profile role since he shuttered his namesake label in 2023. After a collaboration with Self-Portrait in 2024, he had remained largely out of the spotlight. His statement positioned the move as a natural fit: "It is an honour to join Mulberry, a brand with such a rich British heritage and a deep commitment to craft. I look forward to working closely with Andrea and the team to create a new chapter of ready-to-wear that celebrates the spirit of Mulberry."

Kane's reputation was built on an ability to hold opposing impulses in tension without resolving them. He produced dainty floral minidresses and delicate lace negligees alongside fetish-themed pieces with rhinestoned puffed sleeves; he dressed Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke in kitschy swim caps for the Met Gala; he sent Crocs down his runway in 2017. That instinct for irreverent craft won him four British Fashion Awards, including Womenswear Designer of the Year, as well as the British Fashion Council and Vogue's Designer Fashion Fund Award.

Mulberry has long been defined by its leather goods rather than its clothing, which makes the scope of this hire a statement in itself. Putting Kane, a designer with genuine runway pedigree, at the center of a relaunched ready-to-wear category signals that the brand intends to compete on more than heritage and handbags.