Mulberry Bag Collections

In the world of Mulberry, there are many different types of bags in collections different sizes and bags that they have updated to form a new collection within the collection. A lot of choices to chose from it you wanted a Mulberry bag.

Bayswater Collection

Willow Collection

Del Rey Collection

Flower and Cecily Collection

Alexa Collection

Effie Collection

Lily Collection

Daria Collection

Dorset Collection

Celebrities

Celeb Support

Celebrities are key when trying to sell fashion. They help sell big brands as people who like them or look up to there fashion sense many people will spend money to have what they have. It is known that many celebrities get given new collections i.e. bags before they even come out in the shops as a way to sell the product. 

 Lana Del Rey, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung and Rebecca Hall http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/2012/oct/23/mulberry-handbags-profits-warning

These Celebrities are sitting on the front row at the Mulberry spring/summer 2013 during London Fashion Week. These women are very big in the fashion world at the moment and them being on the front row is what every designer wants. 

Alexa Chung and Lana Del Ray have there own bag range for Mulberry.

The Alexa

The Alexa
http://www.mulberry.com/?gclid=cinixrirhlycfybhtaodvhoa4q/#/storefront/c5484/8352/moreviews/

This bag is a mixture of two iconic bags from Mulberry, the Bayswater and the Elkington briefcase. You can get this bag in a variety of styles and colours, this boyish/girlish bag works for any style, she is such a big celeb in fashion and has become an icon. I think this bag is more than a fashion statement but will last you along time and is very versatile. 

‘It’s such an honour. I had no idea they were doing it until they presented it to me. I asked if I could get involved with the design process and they said no!’

‘It’s such an honour. I had no idea they were doing it until they presented it to me. I asked if I could get involved with the design process and they said no!’ 

Alexa Chung for Grazia Fashion Magazine

Del Rey 

Del Rey
http://www.mulberry.com/?gclid=cpoxonkvhlycfw_ktaodmlaa3q/#/storefront/c5483/8892/moreviews/

Her inspiration to bygone glamour and her retro fashion makes the Mulberry bag a timeless classic. It's very sensible design which makes it practical icon in fashion, this bag is a reflection of her. This bag comes in a mixture of leathers such as smooth Classic Calf and Luxurious Ostrich. 

‘I love the design, a perfect mix between old school Hollywood and contemporary style. It’s an honour that such a classic and prestigious brand would name a bag after me’.

 Lana Del Ray for Grazia Fashion Magazine

Both of these ranges are a limited edition's and can be bought in the Mulberry shops.

The New Mulberry 2013 Collection Book

 The Book

The new collection book I got from the House of Fraser, they have a little selection in this particular store. Which is the only one where you can purchase Mulberry bags, this is simply because only a selected stores can sell Mulberry.

Here are some of the pages in the book, the collection book is like a mini fashion book that shows many of the new bags this way. Just by looking at this book you can see how expensive and how these bags are shown to be a luxury product.


In the store
When i visited the store the lady was helpful and told me the type of people who comes into the store, the stereotypical rich women who wants a new bag or the young girl who has saved up and wants a good quality bag that she wants to keep. She also told me that they do not sell the exclusive collection i.e. the alligator or ostrich leather bags, you can only buy these in the actual Mulberry shops or a few selected stores.
This was a good bit of research as i have not actually looked at a brand new Mulberry bag or been to look at the section in a store. In House of Fraser like any brand in a big shop they have created a mini-shop, this section was wooded with the logo engraved into the wood that made the section. This just shows that they are keeping there good quality and appearance to help represent the brand in a positive way.
While in the store I had a look at the bags and looking inside they had bags inside instead of the plastic bags you get in any other bag range, this again shows how they are trying to show there products in a good quality manner. This is what you expect to see when you are paying a large amount of money for a bag.

 The rest of the book

The other pages in the book show how the bags are made, these just proves how the products are made by hand. However I do think this a nice way to have the book as it gives you an insight to how the bags are made, the craft and skill put into each bag, this shows you what your spending your money on.

The position in the market

 "In British fashion land they've never had it so good. On the surface at least London Fashion"

 By David Hayes


http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/News-and-comment?s=MUL:LSE

This shows the position of 'Mulberry' today!

In the year 2012 'Mulberry' profits fell 36% simply because the costs of raw materials i.e. leather which is the main material in the design of Mulberry. Along with the cost of the leather rising the demand in Asia declined, they even cut back on the sales to the mid-market. Which meant they were trying to boost the brand's exclusivity, which helped the sales to rise a 6 per cent increase in the market.

"Mulberry would continue with its international store roll out as planned" Bruno Guillon- Cheif Executive

“The international retail rollout is on track with 17 to 20 new store openings expected for the full year,” he said. “During the period, we have rationalised certain wholesale accounts and refocused the outlet business, which has impacted financial performance in the short-term ... we firmly believe that this is in the long-term interests of transforming Mulberry into a global luxury brand.” 

The business profile for Mulberry- the link!

http://markets.ft.com/research/Markets/Tearsheets/Business-profile?s=MUL:LSE

Timeless Classic Concepts

Mulberry Cupcakes

Mood Board

I like the idea of having cupcakes that will represent new collections such as the 'Willow Collection'. As the brand Mulberry is a very classic brand and has exclusivity along with having that element of being a timeless product. I think cupcakes are a good mix to the phrase timeless classic as they are a fashion statement themselves.

You could have the cupcakes match the collections i.e. colours, so with the 'Willow Collection' the pastel colours could be the icing. The cupcakes could come in specialised cases with Mulberry written on them or the name of the collection. The bag collection have names i.e. Lily or Eliza the cupcakes could have a specialised name?

The cupcakes could be sold in the places that the collection is sold so Selfridges would sell them and then like the three shops that sell specialised exclusive bags they could sell a special cupcake for those who buy that type of bag.  

Names:

• Classic cupcake collection
• The cupcake collection
• Willow cupcakes
• Bay cupcakes (after the bayswater bag)

Iv been looking at different cupcake stores and what they sell here are some of the places:

The hummingbird Bakery: http://hummingbirdbakery.com/order/cakes/vanilla-cupcake-cake/
Peggy's Cupcakes: http://www.peggyscupcakes.co.uk/

Mulberry Dolls

The idea of having a 'Classic Mulberry Doll' and this kinda fits in with the idea of a timeless classic and the fact they never go out of fashion. Like the cupcake idea I like the thought of the dolls representing the new collection like the 'Willow Collection' as I think they can become statement pieces themselves and could bring in a new cliental such as younger children or for those who collect them. 

Mood Board

I like the idea of a rag doll as they are very old fashioned and have developed over the generations. I think this could be a nice edition to the brand.

Mood Board

When I think of dolls I think of Barbie dolls as they are such an iconic doll and most girls/women have or had them. Over the years the look of barbie have changed but not the idea of her which again fits in with Mulberry. Like the doll featured in the Grace Kelly doll (blue dress) it would be a nice idea to have iconic stars made into barbie dolls to be sold in store.

Mulberry Interior

Another idea is having Mulberry go into interior design, as this is also a fashion statement, people work hard to get there homes looking good. The idea is to have the a separate home store like 'Next Home Department' as they are originally a clothes shop as well. Mulberry would sell old fashion furniture with a modern twist simply because over the years people have changed the idea of the classic old tradition  decor to fit the new century.

These examples have are the things that could be sold, as they've started to become more fashionable, especially the beds and the chandeliers. I think this could be a good direction for the brand to go into as it connects to the timeless classic idea.

Along with furniture the new direction could go into wallpaper and carpets or rugs. As this is all part of the interior aspect.

Here are some of the examples of rooms that include wallpaper, carpet and rugs.
Thinking back to the stereotypical people that shop at Mulberry, the wealthy women, they might live in a house that is of similar deco so this could work with this typical audience.

Rachel Ashwell, Shabby Chic: http://www.shabbychic.com/

Shabby chic is that idea of simple living and the worn out look that almost feels like a Italian approach. Looking up the word shabby chic the website above came up that showed Rachel Ashwell's website of interior design. 

appreciation for what is used, well-loved, and worn, it is a respect for natural evolution and a regard for what is easy and sensible

This is almost true about Mulberry as the bags especially are made to last and to be loved but also to be easy and sensible. So this could be something to think about for the new idea.

She as interior designer founded shabby chic in 1989 on the philosophy of beauty, comfort and function, which again can relate to Mulberry. She has many store across the world such as New York and London, which have a variety of bedding and home accessories such as furniture and vintage items.

“As both a mother and the creator of the Shabby Chic brand, my thoughts about decorating are that a home can be truly lived in and still be lovely. I believe in cozy relaxed settings where kids are free to put their feet on the sofa and guests can place their cups on the coffee table without a care. For me, the secret to living well is to surround myself with beautiful things that are practical and deliciously comfortable.            Said By Rachel Ashwell

Images from her website

House of Fraser: The brand is located in the House of Fraser in the UK also, 

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Shabby+Chic+Furniture/BRAND_SHABBY%20CHIC_514,default,sc.html&redirectQuery=shabby%20chic

Images from House a Fraser website

House of Fraser images

After finding out that the 'Shabby Chic' line appeared in House of Fraser I went to have a look in the store and look how the furniture was set out. Also online you dont really get the feel for the brand so it was a good idea to look at it in person. 

Here are some examples of the show room for 'Shabby Chic'.

Rachel Ashwell has also got her own book collection for those who want to know how to achieve the 'Shabby Chic' look.

She has many more books online. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rachel+ashwell&sprefix=rachel+ash%2Caps%2C185

Mulberry Tree

Looking at the tree for more inspiration, seeing what the tree is used for and try and bring this to the brand.  

The company 'Mulberry' was founded in 1971, the factory is in Somerset in England.

"Mulberry will make a positive difference to it's people, the environment and the communities in which it works"   Governance of Mulberry

Six things they look to improve:

1. Climate change
2. Reducing waste
3. Fair products
4. Animal welfare
5. Community involvement
6. Health and wellbeing 

This is something most companies look to do especially as many companies have to look out for the climate change along with animal welfare especially when working in the fashion business.

This is Mulberry's CSR approach:

The Mulberry ApprOAch

Mulberry

Our Approach

Mulberry will make a positive difference to its people, environment and communities it works in.

Climate Change

1. All of our premises will be furbished to high energy performance criteria and environmental specifications

2. Where possible we will invest in renewable energy sources 3. We will review our transport policy to minimise our carbon footprint 4. We will source our purchases from sustainable or renewable sources wherever possible 5. We will reduce the amount of chemicals used in our production 6. communication methods between our own premises and third parties will be

improved to reduce the need for printed documents and travel between sites

Reducing Waste

7. 8.

9.

We will recycle as much as possible from all of our sites The packaging used for our products will be reduced and made more environmentally friendly We will maximise the utilisation of our leather and so reduce waste

Fair partners

10. We will only work with partners who share our ethical values and have signed our Global Sourcing principles and Animal Sourcing principles

11. We will use fair trade alternatives where these are available and suitable for our business needs

Animal Welfare

12. We will continue to ensure that all exotic materials are sourced with cITeS certification 13. We will ensure that we have complete tracking of the source of all hide products

Community Involvement

14. We will introduce a policy to allow employees to have paid time off or funding to assist the local community and other charity projects

15. We will review our charity funding policy and introduce ways for employees to contribute to charity

16. We will consider how best we can use the rookery land to the benefit of the environment and our employees

Health and wellbeing

17. We will encourage healthy eating for our employees and ensure our canteen facilities use locally produced and farm assured products where possible

18. The overall salary and benefit package available to employees will be regularly reviewed to ensure we continue to fairly reward our staff

19. communal space will be provided at all of our own premises 20. Social committees will be established in Somerset and london with funding

made available for events

The Willow Collection

The willow collection named after the Mulberry's second home factory 'The Willows' it will open in Somerset in the late 2013.

http://www.mulberry.com/#/thisseason/thedetails/

This is the campaign for the new collection 'Willow'

The catwalk show......

The famous handbag's here are some from the new collection

With the 'common sense design' it focuses on the structure and simplicity for the new collection. Like all Mulberry bags they are made with leather which is carefully crafted to form each product. The new collection you see they have kept the traditional postman lock on the front, with a clever zip design which adds to the function of the bag to make it a multi-wear bag. Along with these bags you can also buy clutch bags which have the same design as the front of the bag, the envelope shape, that is also made to be simple and oversized proportions to make it more usable. 

An example, of the clutch bag in the new 'Willow' collection. 

http://www.mulberry.com/#/willow/collection

To support the new collection they had a craftsman 'Gary Sheppard' from the British factory in Somerset, showed the skill and craftsmanship in Singapore that goes into making the new collection. He just shows the beginning process of making the product.

Screen shot of the images. http://blog.mulberry.com/

Black Shrunken Calf £1,500

This collection reflects the change in customer demands as the demand for a more versatile bag that can be used over and over again. 

combine form with function and the Willow tote has both

Emma Hill, Creative Director for Mulberry

This bag and the collection was unravelled in September, since then has been worn by many celebrities such as Kate Moss.

"Timeless Classic"
Emma Hill

Ranging in price between £795 for a clutch to £2,350 for the tote in Calf and Ostrich!

http://www.vogue.co.uk/accessories/news/2013/01/28/mulberry-willow-tote-bag-launches---collection-pictures

Selfridges: http://style.selfridges.com/whats-in/mulberry-willow-collection-launches-selfridges-global-exclusive

Biscuit Brown in Ostrich leather 

Selfridges is one of the places that holds the collection 'The Willow' along with the Selfridges.com. This store is the only place in globally to sell the exclusive 'Biscuit Brown in Ostrich Willow Tote'.

http://www.selfridges.com/en/Bags/Brand-rooms/Collection-A/MULBERRY/?llc=dn&departmentId=358751&brandname=MULBERRY 

Online they sell not only 'The Willow Collection' but:

• Bayswater
• Cecily
• Del Rey
• Alexa
• East West
• Lily
• Darwin
• Eliza
• Effie 
• Antony

Harrods: http://www.harrods.com/content/the-store/news-events/2013/february/mulberry-launches-new-willow-tote/

At Harrods you can purchase the new 'The Willow Collection' and is the only store to offer the 'Willow Tote' in every colour available including three exclusive Alligator styles in black, white and deer brown.

Aligator in White

http://www.harrods.com/brand/mulberry/accessories


Another place that you can purchase 'The Willow Collection' is at New Bond Street Flagship Shop.