Mulberry Handbags

Some designers find a handbag that they have made a hit and continuously reinvent it with new materials, colors, and patterns. It doesn’t always work, but it most definitely works for some brands. Take the Mulberry Bayswater for example. We have seen it in leather, pink ombre, purple ostrich, and even luscious green alligator. And each and every one of these versions I have loved. In fact, I wonder why I have not taken the jump yet and bought myself a Bayswater, since the sturdy yet somehow feminine design continues to intrigue me time after time.

Now there is a sexy vamped up version, the Mulberry Leopard Bayswater Bag which gives an exotic feel with navy leopard print patent leather. The reason this bag does not look leopard-trashy is due to the deep navy lather with the print, it is a color so deep and sultry but not bright and trashy. The Bayswater bag has double top handles and this version sports silver hardware and brown lining. Now this version is a treat on the Net A Porter UK site £695 (approximately $1,271) but I am quite sure it will show up on the US site soon!

Mulberry Agyness Bag

By age 25 supermodel Agyness Deyn had a bag from the top designer house Mulberry named after her. Her accomplishments by age 25 make most cower. This ambitious model was the face of Burberry and Giorgio Armani campaign, though she was recently dropped from Burberry. On top of these two campaigns Deyn was the face of the S/S 2007 Mulberry campaign. This launched her into having a Mulberry Bag named after her, the Mulberry Agyness Bag. This bag is simply chic, just as Agyness is. The supple putty leather covers this spacious shoulder bag with a signature Mulberry plate clasp on the front strap. There are double top handles and the bag provides the perfect slouch to be thrown over your arm. This sleek and chic bag was perfectly named after one of the biggest up and coming supermodels (of 2008 at least). Buy through Net A Porter for $1,395.

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Mulberry Ombre Bayswater Bag

I have been a fan of the Mulberry Bayswater Bag for quite some time. There is something so simple yet appealing about the design. And yes, it is not super feminine. It is practical and rugged at times, but beautiful when combinations like purple ostrich and a bespoke green crocodile carried by Kate Moss. And now there is a new version that has my love, the Mulberry Ombre Bayswater Bag which features a fuchsia ombre leather. This is a stunning change for the Bayswater, a modern edgy appeal to their household staple. The gold lock fastening on the front looks great on the fuchsia leather. There is a flap top closure and adjustable straps around the sides. Sure I loved the ostrich and drooled over the crocodile, but this version has my heart. Buy through Net A Porter for $1395.

Mulberry Jody Tote

The logo-lovers are not in Spain (that is except for one brand that I will go into detail about after this trip). As I walk the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, I see mostly plain leather bags. Nothing flashy, and the lack of flashiness has me walking disturbingly close to some women to check out the designer of their bag. I find it fascinating to see different trends in handbags in different parts of the world. Today I saw about five women carrying Mulberry, which is obviously a well-loved brand in England as well as other countries. I saw a new design on this incredibly fashionable woman leaving Corte Ingles today, and it just happened to be on Net A Porter today too! The Mulberry Jody Tote is roomy, lacks logos, and has the simple black bag appeal. The leather on many Mulberry bags is sturdier, which at times can be heavier, but is part of the appeal. The gold hardware adds a sophisticated touch and the signature postman’s lock closure is found on the front. There is a zip across top, double handles, and press stud fastenings at the sides. This all adds up to make this bag great for traveling, which is top on my list right now. Just under $1000 via Net A Porter.

The debate can be closed, because we have confirmed with Mulberry that the bag Kate Moss was spotted carrying was indeed a Mulberry bag. After Kate Moss was pictured with this alligator green bag, talk around the web began and the identification of this bag was on. While we were certain it was not Hermes, people began to wonder if it was Mulberry because of some leather straps looking different. But we have confirmed with Mulberry that Kate Moss was carrying a Mulberry Alligator Bespoke Bag done especially for her. The bespoke service allows buyers to customize a bag to their liking, including material and colors and shapes (though they are not currently offering alligator as a material in bespoke, but they do carry ostrich). I will be brining you more news on the Mulberry bespoke service later, but for now, case closed

Kate Moss with her Green Croc Bag

There is something so stunning about a pop of color on an exotic bag. Hermes does color amazingly and many other brands continue to work on their ability to color their leathers and materials perfectly. Kate Moss has been causing quite the stir when she was spotted toting a Green Crocodile Bag. At first a member on our forum labeled it as Hermes, but from a better angle it became clear it is indeed not Hermes. Clearly, the second choice answer is Mulberry, as this bag resembles the Mulberry Bayswater bag. But look closely. The Mulberry Bayswater has an inch wide strip of leather coming down from each of the handles to the bottom. Kate’s bag does not. Some of the ladies on our Mulberry forum think the bag may be Asprey of London, which carries bags with a very similar look and a hearty price tag. The bag looks very similar to the Mulberry Bayswater, but indeed, upon closer inspection, the bag is very different. Designers at Mulberry could have indeed changed the bag up a bit for Moss, but it may also be the case that this bag is still not identified properly. Either way, it is a stunning piece of green crocodile which is swoon worthy!

After looking at the Bayswater and Kate’s Bag, what do you think? Click here for fullsize pictures of Kate!

Mulberry Antony Messenger Bag

I have been a fan of this Mulberry bag from day one. It is small, practical, and cute. It is like the perfect tourist bag and the perfect bag if you do not have young children. Because while the dimensions of the Mulberry Antony Messenger Bag are decent (8″W x 10.5″H x 3″D), they are not quite large enough for the woman with young children who require hoards of carry-ons. This bag features black leather and golden hardware. The top has a flap closure with a clasp fastening, which is easy enough to get in and out of, and an adjustable canvas shoulder strap (18.5″ drop). When I say this is a great tourist bag, I mean for the tourist that is sensible. If you ever travel with me, you will notice, that I carry every single possible-possibility I may need. If you need Advil, an inhaler, Benadryl, 15 different lip glosses, three wallets, camera, batteries, map, water bottle, snack, etc. You can be assured that traveling with me means if there is a power outage and we are stuck in an elevator, we will be good for at least three days. So while this bag is not suitable for my travel needs (or daily needs for that matter), there are people out there much more practical when it comes to packing that this could work for. It is also great for the younger crowd that just does not need that big of a bag. Buy through NAP for $395.

Mulberry Large Soho Bags

Mulberry has a preview of their Spring/Summer 2008 collection online, which has a new bag that I just love. There seems to be a lack of great mid-sized bags. I have the longest list of clutches that I adore and the longest list of large handbags that I yearn for, but the mid-sized bags either look too small, oddly shaped, or just wrong. My problem is that most large bags that I carry, I use to tote around. I would love a great mid-sized bag to put on my shoulder and actually have it fit and stay there, giving me use of both hands. Mulberry has added a twist on their Bayswater to a smaller version that may be just right. The Mulberry Large Soho Bags offer a soft scoop shape on this shoulder bag. The front features a large magnetic buckle closure with a tab. Another plus is the adjustable shoulder strap; so add as much or as little slack as you would like. Just like the Mulberry Basywater is available in plain leather and ostrich (seriously stunning purple ostrich!), so is the Soho Bag. They offer a chic coral ostrich Soho Bag which costs approximately $2,928. And in leather, there is both a chocolate and antique gold, costing $1,077.

In July, editor of Pop magazine, Katie Grand, was named the replacement of Mulberry’s creative director, Stuart Vevers who is moving to Loewe in January. But Mulberry did not have an easy time assigning a new creative director, because just a few weeks ago Grand resigned only a few months before she was set to begin. While the reasoning for her resigning is still unknown, Mulberry had to re-start their search. Mulberry found another replacement naming Emma Hill as the creative director whose designs will debut with the spring 2009 collection. Emma Hill has previously worked at Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Chloe, and Gap.

[press info below]

Mulberry announces the appointment of Emma Hill as Creative Director with effect from the Spring/Summer 2009 collections.

Emma is a widely acclaimed designer who is credited with the success of accessories collections for many of the great brands including the launch of Marc by Marc Jacobs and bags for Gap.

A Ravensbourne graduate, Emma is looking forward to coming home to a British brand after her years in New York and Paris.

Emma says “I’ve always loved Mulberry and look forward lending my skills to build on the brand’s exciting recent achievements and secure its position in the international marketplace.”

Mulberry welcomes Emma Hill to head the design team and oversee all creative functions of the company. Lisa Montague looks forward to bolstering the creative force of Mulberry as the brand embarks on new challenges and brings in resource for future development.

Change is always good. And Mulberry has undergone a site renovation adding great features and falling snowflakes for the winter season. The snowfall is my favorite, it simply gets me in the Holiday spirit right away (kind of like our Purse Blog Winter Theme). Even better is that you can download a snowing desktop application, which means the cheer can transfer onto your screen at all times. Below is the information about the website, with all new features explained in detail. Mulberry, which is based in the UK, is a brand that has been around garnering attention for years, yet is making a larger impact on the US market recently. Check out their site renovation and all of their amazing renditions of the ever favorite Bayswater and others!

Autumn Winter 2007 sees Mulberry’s online boutique re-vamped and re-launched in time for the Christmas season. A ‘snowsfall ‘on the homepage sees Mulberry getting into the Christmas spirit and enables users to download a snowing desktop application. The new site gives the consumer a luxurious and stress free shopping experience from the comfort of their own home with great gift ideas for ‘him’ and ‘her’!

Check out celebrity favourites Mabel and Bayswater in a host of shades and skins. They debut online in a more user friendly, flash based format on an open airy site. Improved accessibility and navigation make for pleasurable, simple shopping. Men’s bags, luggage, smaller leather goods, gift items, cufflinks, ties and scarves give as broad a range of products as the flagship store; with magnifying functions and more detailed photography allowing each product to be viewed up close. A streamlined check out process helps to beat the queues to a bestseller with as few clicks as possible.

Away from the online shop more brand information is available too. View the clothing collections online for the first time through the seasonal look book, and trace worldwide stockists with the interactive map. A press area will keep everyone updated on all Mulberry news. Key features are available to view along with the very latest celebrity sightings. A new improved customer services area includes material and care advice to make sure each product can stay as beautiful as the day it is first unwrapped.

The complete Autumn Winter range and the new early Spring 2008 collection can be viewed in their new online home now. Go to www.mulberry.com to view.