Mulberry

Are Mulberry’s New Bags, the First Runway Collection From Former Céline Bag Designer Johnny Coca, Enough for a Comeback?

First, let’s cut to the chase and answer the question in the headline: Yes. Not only was poaching Céline‘s head of accessories the sort of buzz-worthy move Mulberry needed in order to bring some positive attention to the ailing brand, but the designer brought considerable handbag chops with him. Coca’s first set of Mulberry runway bags, which debuted over the weekend in London, are, in many ways, exactly what the brand needed to distract both the industry’s chattering class and the brand’s shoppers from the uncertainty of the past few years.

There’s a lot of the most wearable parts of Céline in these bags, but unlike so many brands who have simply tried to recreate the magic of its luxurious, woman-focused minimalism, Mulberry went out and hired the man who pioneered that look in Céline’s bags, shoes, sunglasses, jewelry and small accessories. It’s a move that’s paid off, and if these bags eventually sell at a price point that’s more in line with Mulberry’s prices before the company hired a CEO from Hermès, prices skyrocketed and everything went sideways, I can see a lot of fans returning to the brand, as well as new customers shopping Mulberry for the first time.

Below, we’ve assembled all the images we could find of the collection. The runway bags are the most ambitious of the lot, of course, and the off-runway pieces (some of which will be available for pre-order shortly) strike a note somewhere between everyday charm and serious fashion that’s perfect for the current accessories market.

[Images via Mulberry]

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