Mulberry shake up their business model, calling off their September fashion show in favour of a version of the direct-to-consumer model. Over the weekend, the British heritage label cancelled their London Fashion Week show this September, announcing they would instead show their spring/summer 18 collection via appointment, exclusively to press and buyers, with the runway show returning for February.
In a statement to press, CEO Thierry Andretta said of the direct-to-consumer move: “Mulberry has always been focused on offering a real and accessible lifestyle. The shift announced today enables us to continue to drive engagement and increase our relevance to our customers.”
Certain labels have enjoyed great success with the model, perhaps none more so than Tommy Hilfiger. Many items from the designer’s second shoppable TommyXGigi runway sold out before the show was even over! Other labels haven’t had the same luck, as it seems the system doesn’t fare so well without an influencer partnership. Tom Ford recently ditched the see-now-buy-now model, after discovering it actually cost his eponymous label sales. Which way will Mulberry sway? We’ll find out soon.
Editors Note: This article was amended on 29/05/17 as it wrongly stated that Mulberry had cancelled all future runway shows. We apologise for the error.
Credits
Text Isabelle Hellyer
Photography Mitchell Sams via i-D