MITHRIDATE SS27
Mithridate Spring Summer 2027 Collection. London, September 17th, 2026
The Spring Summer 2027 Mithridate collection from Creative Director Daniel Fletcher began with the synthetic, nostalgic sounds of the 80s, like Visage’s ‘Fade to Grey’, fitting since it draws inspiration from the singular aesthetic and spirit of the New Romantics in 1980s London. What was also apt was the show's proximity to the epicentre of that sartorial movement, The Blitz Club, once located steps away from today’s show.
For this season, Fletcher explains he had a clear vision for the collection, a call to action to encourage creativity and self-expression, beginning with a narrative of two princesses, one real, one a DJ. “I feel actually, it was, like, a mashup of Princess Diana meets Princess Julia in the middle of Covent Garden, and then they just go to the Blitz club. And it's the '80s. That was really the mood of the collection. It's these two worlds coming together. The preppiness that has become part of Mithridate's DNA now, but also that kind of underground nightclub scene of the '80s and the new romantic era.”
Words by Leigh Maynard.
The result takes Mithridate into bolder realms this season, balancing British heritage without forgetting the brand’s Chinese roots. From party dresses with bubble hems and reinterpreted tailoring to bodice-form dresses entirely covered in feathers, and tulle-trimmed gowns, the collection leans into that 80s idea of vintage finds and dressing up. Low-slung briefs with fringe scarf ties, corsets worn with exposed suspender clips, and candy floss pink tutus all add vibrancy and a fresh accent to the brand’s design language.
Offering insight into other key elements of the collection, Fletcher reveals that military details were a focal point, echoing the New Romantics’ penchant for adopting looks from Victorian and Edwardian eras. “If you look at the New Romantics, they took things from theatre costumes or dressing-up boxes and turned them into looks to go out in. And so there were a lot of military details in there because they were finding old Napoleon hats and jackets and making them into their looks for the club.”
Playful proportions were big in the 80s; here they appear through oversized studs on relaxed denim and micro shorts, alongside billowing trench coats and shrunken cable knits with broad-shouldered jackets. These elements, which draw on nostalgic style references, get a contemporary edge through details such as jumpers tied at the neck, low-slung cummerbunds, and flat shoes and slingbacks in sneaker styles.
Just as the New Romantics would have liked it, the season’s palettes challenge conventional pairings: hot pink and red-hot scarlet, cornflower blue and emerald green, navy and black; best exemplified in accessories like the striped moiré school scarves transformed into wearable sculptures. At the same time, signature motifs appear across shirts and accessories, along with West End Theatre graphics on garments that lean into Mithridate’s more preppy language while still experimenting with texture and fabrics.
“We really had fun with the textiles this season. In particular, there's a dress that looks like tartan, but it's actually fringe beading. Each strand had to be individually counted to make sure we lined the tartan up. So it was a real labour of love, but I think it was worth it to see the movement of it on the runway. When it stood still, you read it as tartan, but when it moves, it's got this real kind of freedom.”
As models strutted to a backdrop of synthetic sounds that hint at the promise of becoming someone else, there was a sense of joyful expression, something we all need more of, agrees Daniel. “Especially in this country where it's quite conservative. I just think everyone, whether it's fashion or anything, just needs more joy and expression and freedom. And I hope that when people see this collection, they take that away from it and it encourages them to live their best lives.”
They may draw on past theatrical expressions. Still, ultimately, these clothes, as with all Mithridate collections, strike a delicate balance between classic elegance and progressive energy, making them wearable and versatile while channelling the playful sensibility that underpins the Spring Summer 27 collection. As for individual interpretation, Daniel elaborates, “I want people to feel like they can wear it in any way that they like. And I think if you look at even the way that we styled the clothes together today, we merged loads of different styles and, in ways that maybe shouldn't work, but do. And I think that plays into the fact that dressing is a way to express yourself, and I hope that's what people do.”
As the show drew to a close and models walked the finale to the soundtrack of Ziggy’s “Life on Mars,” we were reminded of the groundbreaking aesthetic that originally accompanied those lyrics. Lyrics though nostalgic call for change and encourage a return to creative freedom. And that idea, that collection, set against the current landscape, somehow never looked so fresh or felt so optimistic.
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