Daniel Fletcher’s second collection for the Guangzhou-based brand Mithridate continued to be a study of cultural common ground between the U.K. and China.
He looked at how both sides celebrate the change of seasons: dandy outings during Royal Ascot, wild nights at Glastonbury, as well as the Henley Regatta, an annual summer rowing event on the River Thames loved by the London set.
It reminded him of his first-hand experience of the heated Dragon Boat Festival racing on Guangzhou’s Pearl River at the end of May, when he was there developing the collection with the local team in his studio, sitting right next to the factory.
The multicultural references led to a collection that was rooted in English heritage, but designed for a weather-transcending global audience.
Wardrobe essentials were done in soft sand-washed silk and pastel Merino wool, formal attire came with a Mick Jagger hedonistic touch, and outdoor numbers were rendered in aged leather and fine checks for unpredictable weather.
He also looked at the queer and romantic world of “Brideshead Revisited” with preppy items such as a rowing blazer with a Mithridate logo inspired by old photos of Eton College, and a padded bomber jacket in navy paired with check shorts.
The anything-goes style that a young David Hockney adopted played a key role, too. “I found this beautiful photo of Hockney signing a conservatory painting. That kind of clash of colors, textures, and prints is something that I find inspiring,” he said.
His admiration for Chinese craftsmanship, meanwhile, could be found in the details. The final look in the collection, a delicate embroidered dress, was hand-beaded using a traditional technique to evoke the pattern of picnic basket checks, for example.