Lulu & Co’s first Resort collection was birthed simply because the stockists asked for it. “It’s great to be wanted rather than to have to push,” says creative director Lulu Kennedy. The collection had all the cheeky, grungy, playful Lulu signatures (think satin bomber jackets, quirky floral-print joggers, and Lurex slogan sweaters). But there was also some weight to it. A soignée silk Dupioni dress with a fifties silhouette and delicate floral appliqué detail, as well as a sharp brocade top-and-trouser set, were more Babe Paley than Courtney Love. “I listened closely to the stockists for this collection—especially about what makes a collection viable commercially,” said Kennedy. Could these steps toward maturity have something to do with The Guardian pegging Kennedy as one of its “fantasy picks” for the Mulberry job? (Creative director Emma Hill left earlier this month.) Kennedy laughs it off, “I mean, the mere mention of it is wildly flattering, but I think I would be in the dark-horse category.”
Still, if anyone fits the bill of Mulberry’s self-described “kooky and bonkers” personality, it would be Kennedy. Consider her slogan sweatshirts, one of which read, “Never Again, Just Tonight. OK.” Or her tube dresses and skirts printed with, “I’m here, I’m now, I’m ready.” And, as the founder of the young-designer initiative Fashion East, Kennedy knows a little something about wrangling new talent. “The graphics came from a really cool girl called Beverley who I found on Tumblr. My eyes are always wide open for talent, and her work was all so beyond. The collaboration was done in a couple of e-mails—sweet and simple, just how I like it.”
Rumors aside, Kennedy says that her foray into Resort served as an invaluable learning tool. “With Fashion East, I just knew a lot about shows and the press,” she explains. “Lulu & Co is giving me an entire 360 degree experience. I am a student in sales, manufacturing, marketing, everything. It’s the best kind of on-the-job training you can imagine.”
—Afsun Qureshi
Photo: Courtesy of Lulu & Co.
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