On 10 June 2013, Emma Hill announced that she would be stepping down as creative director of Mulberry after a six-year tenure. Two years and eight days later, the news that she's returning with an eponymous accessories line called Hill & Friends (aw) is music to our ears - though potentially less so our wallets.

After cutting her teeth at Gap, Marc Jacobs and Chloé, Hill stepped into Stuart Vevers’ shoes to helm the iconic British lifestyle brand in February 2008. Her savvy eye for It-girls put Mulberry on the fashion map, with her of-the-moment Alexa and Del Rey bags becoming instant must-haves.

Now, together with former Mulberry brand director, Georgia Fendley, she intends to launch a little sartorial missile into London’s leather goods offering. The duo will present their debut collection at LFW this September, according to WWD. Hill & Friends' s/s 2016 line will feature a special ‘see-now-buy-now’ capsule range that will be available to buy the following day via Net-A-Porter and Hillandfriends.com.

Plans are already in the pipeline to diversify the label's offering into ready-to-wear, and the duo is said to be scouting for retail locations in New York and London for the their first stores. 

On 8 July, Hill’s successor Johnny Coca will leave his current role as head of design for leather goods, shoes, hard accessories, jewellery and sunglasses at Céline to steer Mulberry’s future.

With both designers showing concurrently, will there be 'It' bags at dawn?

Photo: Getty