Mulberry

Mulberry is a luxury leather goods brand from Somerset, England . It was founded by Roger Saul in 1971. Its products include handbags, ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories. Mulberry's classic handbags include the Bayswater series , the Alexa series , the Trout series , etc.

· Brand History ·

The Mulberry brand was born in Somerset, England in 1971. Roger Saul, then 21, used the 500 pounds given by his mother to open a store named "Mulberry" . The brand name means "mulberry" , inspired by a mulberry tree in the vacant lot of Roger Saul's old school; his sister used this tree as a prototype to complete the design of the brand logo.

Mulberry's initial products were belts , and later it gradually produced more types of leather goods, including briefcases and binocular bags. Due to the increase in product demand, Mulberry established its first factory "The Rookery" in 1973 , located in Chilcompton, Somerset. The name was inspired by the local raven (Rook ). In the February 1976 issue of

American "Vogue" magazine , a photo of American supermodel Patti Hansen wearing a suede shirt dress and carrying a Mulberry shoulder bag was published. This was the first time Mulberry appeared in a fashion magazine. With the continuous accumulation of publications, Mulberry gradually developed into a well-known fashion brand in the industry. Mulberry first launched a women's ready-to-wear product line

in 1979. After entering the 1980s, it continued to launch men's shoes and ready-to-wear series . To promote the brand and products, Mulberry regularly publishes "Mulberry Life" magazine . In addition to handbags, fashion and accessories, it also sells home product lines in Harvey Nichols, a high-end British department store .

In 2000, Singapore's Challice Group purchased 41.7% of Mulberry's shares for 7.6 million pounds, and later increased its stake to more than 50%, becoming Mulberry's largest shareholder. In 2002, founder Roger Saul sold his 38% stake.

British fashion designer Scott Henshall became creative director in 2002 and set about reshaping the brand's image. With the investment of the Challice Group, he hired British actress Anna Friel as the advertising spokesperson, and collaborated with singers and actors such as Robbie Williams, Bryan McFadden, Victoria Beckham, Kate Winslet, and Cameron Diaz, using the celebrity effect to increase brand influence and help Mulberry successfully become a new era brand.

From 2002 to 2004, Nicholas Knightly took over as creative director . The Bayswater series he designed was launched in 2003. With its simple shape, classic design and iconic postman 's lock, it has become one of Mulberry's most iconic handbags. In order to make the brand team younger, Mulberry has cooperated with schools in Somerset, England, to launch the Apprentice Programme

since 2006 , encouraging local young people to learn production skills, providing training and job opportunities, and cultivating the next generation of craftsmen for Mulberry factories. From 2007 to 2013, Emma Hill served as creative director . The Alexa series he designed is the next generation of classics after Bayswater. The Alexa handbag was born in 2010. It is a collaboration with British model and TV host Alexa Chung . It uses Bayswater's iconic postman's lock and briefcase shape, but has more complex details.

Mulberry's second factory, "The Willows" , was unveiled in 2013 and is located in Bridgewater, Somerset, England. The name was inspired by the nearby "Willow man" outdoor sculpture and also refers to the local wicker weaving technique.

Since 2015, Spanish fashion designer Johnny Coca has been the creative director , responsible for the design of leather goods, shoes, ready-to-wear and other accessories, as well as the brand's creativity and image. After taking office, he immediately brought innovation to Mulberry, collaborating with British paper manufacturer GF Smith to design Mulberry's classic green , which is used for product packaging, shoe insoles and jacket linings.

He also redesigned the typography of the brand logo , changing "Mulberry" to a serif font used in the 1970s, adding a circle around the tree-shaped logo and removing it from the logo.

Johnny Coca reinterpreted the Bayswater series to enhance the practicality of the handbag according to modern lifestyles . He changed the internal stitching to a seamless design, removed the side belt loops and padlock decorations, and reduced the weight of the bag by simplifying the details; he chose softer and thicker leather to make the shape more streamlined.

In March 2017, Mulberry and its major shareholder, Challice Group, jointly established Mulberry Asia, which is mainly responsible for China business , with the intention of increasing sales in Greater China and enhancing brand awareness in China. In July of the same year, Mulberry signed an agreement with Japanese clothing retailer Onward Global Fashion to establish a joint venture Mulberry Japan headquartered in Tokyo to officially develop Japanese business .

Since 1975, Mulberry has always implemented the "British style" (Le Style Anglais), and its design concept originated from the British rural lifestyle such as hunting, shooting, and fishing . Today, Mulberry combines traditional craftsmanship with fashion elements, taking into account the tranquility of Somerset and the fast pace of London, forming an innovative style that blends tradition and uninhibitedness.

· Chronology of major events ·