When things get really bad, at some point one has to convince oneself they can’t get any worse. To that end, Mira Mikati is determined to keep looking on the bright side, come hell or high water. “If you think there’s no chance, then there isn’t,” she said during a preview. “I always believe that hope attracts hope, and happiness attracts happiness. Otherwise, why get out of bed in the morning?”
These days, what gets Mikati going in the morning is her newfound green thumb. Learning how to garden has been on her bucket list for ages. Since she never does things by halves, she pulled on her boots and got her hands dirty out at a plant nursery in Kent. She was so thrilled with the process that she now trying to grow her own basil, tomatoes and flowers. Which is why her collection for spring was inspired not by a trip to some far-flung destination, as is her won’t, but instead reflected what’s happening in her own back yard in London (“in the rain,” she quipped).
Mikati’s sartorial garden was lush with radishes, artichokes, asparagus, carrots, mushrooms and corn, flowers and fruit and tea (another of her obsessions). A top might be composed entirely of crocheted lemons; a sweater might sport a yuzu. Her clients have embraced her experiments in tailoring, the designer said, and this season she obliged with a suit embellished with beadings and bracelets right on the cuff, or else in pinstripes reprising the colors of the rainbow. A denim jacket with produce peeking out from the breast pocket will likely be a hit, green thumb or not. For evening, there was a mesh dress with colorful embroidery, or a pajama-style top with rings of Swarovski crystals.
This year, Mikati marks a decade in the business, but her fans will have to wait another few months to see how that milestone translates into clothing, an artistic collaboration, or perhaps a new shop. “I want to celebrate in so many ways, but have to make a choice,” she said. “You need to dream in one direction.”