Mulberry & Cara Delevingne’s Wilderness Picnic

As I probably don’t need to tell you, this post is a little belated (read: one month) because things have been slightly crazy chez LPA. Between the new site launch and prepping for four fashion weeks I haven’t got around to posting about my Wilderness experience until now but I want to at least share some snaps with you because it was such a wonderful day…

When Mulberry do something, they certainly do not do it by halves and I arrived at Claridges (our breakfast meeting point, natch) to find myself joining a large and stylish cohort of journalists, editors, buyers and top customers ready to swap London pavements for Oxfordshire’s rolling fields. Having fortified ourselves with bacon rolls and Bloody Mary’s and been presented with our own adorable illustrated “Mulberry at Wilderness” guides to the festival, it was time to pile into a fleet of Mercedes coaches and set off on the long but jolly drive. I suspect it won’t come as a surprise to hear that I’m not really a festival girl. One hideous experience at Reading aged 17 scarred me for life. Or rather it had, until Wilderness happened. Ok, admittedly it’s the most middle class, boutiquey festival probably ever – there’s a HIX tent, J.Sheekey and more green juice and yoga facilities than could ever be strictly necessary – and I was there as a pampered guest of Mulberry but I totally reckon I got the festival vibe.

Inside the Mulberry craft tent

Down the garden path…

Tanya & Jim

After a nose around the adorable Mulberry craft tent it was time to head to the main event, the picnic. With Cara Delevingne playing hostess and Douglas Booth, Holliday Grainger, Sam Reid, Luke and Harry Treadaway, Gemma Chan, Bonnie Wright, Jaime Winstone, Gala Gordon and Tanya Burr in attendance, it was the place to be at the festival. And by “it” I mean the secret Walled Garden in the heart of Lord and Lady Rotherwick’s Cornbury estate, the perfect location for an afternoon of indulgence that could not have felt more British.

Luke Treadaway, Jaime Winstone, Cara Delevingne, Douglas Booth & Harry Treadaway

Gemma Chan & Holliday Granger

Me & Luke Treadaway

Susie Lau

Several hours of mincing, mingling and drinking champagne in the sunshine later it was time to eat and every one of the 200 or so guests were presented with a Mulberry picnic hamper embossed with the brands signature motif. Once I’d just about recovered from our excitement at the hampers – they were seriously cute – I looked inside to discover an array of delicious treats based on English ingredients including roasted cobnuts, heritage whole grain sandwiches with dressed crab, cream and gooseberry jelly biscuits and pressed cucumber juice flavoured with honey, all concocted by Young British Foodie chef Giles Clark. Settling down on a bespoke Mulberry picnic rugs among friends old and new, I felt very content indeed.

Picnic posse!

Inside our hampers

Adorable florals

Cara-van!

All too soon the afternoon drew to a close and we ventured (or rather, stumbled) out of the garden. I managed to fit in a dance and an outfit change before joining the others at the HIX tent to finish the day off with a feast.

Thank you Mulberry for an amazing day! I’m definitely going to Wilderness next year now.

Love Ella X