Well, it took long enough.

I’ve been excited about the advent of the Mulberry Willow Tote ever since it debuted on the brand’s Spring 2013 runway back in September 2012, and finally, the object of my affection has become available for mass consumption. Thankfully, it’s just as beautiful as I had remembered it being, if slightly more pricey than I had hoped.

English model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was recently photographed at the airport in LA carrying a cheetah Mulberry Del Rey Animal Print Bag. (You’ve definitely seen Rosie in Victoria’s Secret lingerie, and you might’ve seen her in Transformers 3, but I’m kind of hoping you didn’t.) Young British celebs love their Mulberry, which is of course based in London, like so many of my other fave designer brands.

On one hand, no one looks more dour in paparazzi photos than Reese Witherspoon; on the other hand, they do tend to follow her inside fro-yo shops, which is probably irritating. Here’s a less-than-pleased-looking Reese carrying an especially pleasing tan Mulberry Tassel Bag during a quick yogurt stop in Hollywood. Hardcore Mulberry fans will notice that this bag is basically the Mulberry Alexa, but with massive tassels.

Mulberry makes full lines of ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories, of course, but we and they both know what everyone wants to see every season: the bags. Mulberry has been an enormous reputation off of its stylish, functional, totally covetable leather day bags, and by all indications from the Mulberry Fall 2013 show, the brand has no desire to change that. Want a new work bag or roomy weekend bag?

Unless you’re recently coupled or engaged, Valentine’s Day probably isn’t your favorite day of all days (and even then, most young women I know approach it with dread), but beyond the opportunity to buy half-priced chocolates at the drug store the day after, perhaps there’s something to all of this V-Day hubbub after all. And by that, of course, we mean there might be a Valentine’s handbag we’d like to explore further, in the form of the Mulberry Valentines Bayswater Clutch.

Fashion is perhaps more obsessed with ad campaigns than any industry outside of advertising itself. If you love a particular brand, it’s fun to get a peek into how the brand’s creative team envisions the clothes in context, and the best ads can provide great aesthetic inspiration for everything from personal styling to home decor to vacation planning. Around here, we love ads because they so often feature brands’ biggest money-makers: handbags.

Megs and I have had our eyes on the Mulberry Zigzag bag ever since it came down the runway in several sizes and colors back in February, and now that it’s available at retail, we have some deciding to do. Namely, which version is the best? Are they all best? Does the definition of the word “best” inherently preclude them from all being best?

Ahh, the perks of being an internationally mega-famous supermodel. Chic parties, global travel, endless free swag. Not only did Kate Moss sit front row at the Mulberry Spring 2013 show earlier this week, but the Brit beauty got to be the first person to debut the instantly covetable Mulberry Willow Tote off the runway, barely 24 hours after the bag debuted in London.

I’ve been a bit critical about Mulberry (specifically its marketing tactics) over the past season, so believe me when I say this: the Mulberry Willow Tote may very well be the best new day bag we’ll see all season. That’s a hefty mantle to bestow before the handbag heavyweights in Milan and Paris have even finished styling their runway looks, and I may yet be proved wrong, but the the big bag reveal of the Mulberry Spring 2013 show might just be good enough to go the distance.

As much as the PurseBlog team isn’t head-over-heels in love with the Mulberry Del Rey Bag, we do love Mulberry as a whole, and we really love getting a behind-the-scenes look at how a bag is made. (We also sorta love Lana Del Rey’s album, even if we try not to admit that publicly.) (Oops.) Luckily, Mulberry has indulged us from all angles with a construction video for the brand’s Del Rey Bag, soundtracked by Lana’s song “Summertime Sadness.” Check out the video after the jump – how do you feel about this design.