British heritage brand Mulberry used its London Fashion Week
presentation to highlight its ‘Made to Last’ initiative inspired by the
brand’s responsibility commitments to the “past, present and future” with
an immersive installation that brought the brand’s craft and design ethos
to life.
Set within the brand’s Bond Street store, the three-day programme
featured live music, exclusive events, craft workshops, a pop-up café, as
well as the brand’s new M Collection, a capsule of bags and outerwear
crafted from a blend of Econyl regenerated nylon and sustainable cotton.
The sustainable collection its part of Mulberry’s new commitment to
responsible design, and to further its commitment the heritage brand has
ensured that the price for responsible sourcing and production is not
passed on to the consumer by making sure that the M collection is launched
with one global retail price.
“The M Collection takes an innovative approach to new materials and to
British heritage,” explained Johnny Coca, Mulberry creative director in a
statement. “The brand’s M Initial has been interlocked in a play on
Brutalist architecture and heritage textiles such as houndstooth to create
an urban, abstracted pattern that draws on our shared spaces and
histories.”
In addition, Mulberry also transported its carbon-neutral Somerset
factories craftspeople to the flagship to showcase the work that goes into
creating its 100 percent sustainable leather Portobello Tote, and showcased
its commitment to crafting responsible luxury with a mixed-media
installation.
Mulberry puts on immersive sustainable installation during London
Fashion Week
At the heart of its sustainable presentation was the launch of its new
circular economy programme, ‘The Mulberry Exchange’. This new service
invites customers to have their Mulberry bags authenticated and appraised,
with the opportunity to put this value towards a new purchase.
The buy back scheme, including authentication and valuation, will be
available at select stores in the UK and US, including Bond Street, Gee’s
Court, Regent Street, Covent Garden and White City in London, Glasgow,
Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, York and Kilver Court in Somerset, as well as
Spring Street, New York in the US.
Once a Mulberry Exchange expert has authenticated and appraised the bag,
customers can then decide to hand in their bag and receive a gift card to
put towards a new purchase, or even get the bag restored at Mulberry’s care
and repair centre, as its Somerset factories old leather and component
pieces from the past 35 years.
Pre-loved and archive pieces will be available for purchase at the Bond
Street and Gees Court stores in London, as well as the Spring Street
flagship in New York. There will be a focus on rare silhouettes and
limited-edition pieces, with each bag carefully revived by Mulberry’s
restoration artisans in Somerset.
Commenting on the launch, Thierry Andretta, Mulberry chief executive
said: “I am delighted to oversee the launch of The Mulberry Exchange. This
innovative set of services celebrates decades of artisan skills nurtured in
our Somerset factories and embraces the principles of a circular economy.
We’re proud to offer our customers the chance to give a pre-loved bag a
second life and purchase timeless designs from Mulberry’s archive.”
The initiative is part of the Mulberry Green charter, which sets out the
brand’s commitments to make a positive difference to its people, the
environment and the community in which it works and is focused around
materials, manufacturing, product and people. It also encompasses the
brand’s lifetime restoration service which allows customers to revive,
rather than replace, a well-loved bag.
Images: by Danielle Wightman-Stone