Mulberry, the British fashion house behind “it bags” like the Alexa and the Bayswater, celebrates its 40th anniversary today. As part of the festivities, creative director Emma Hill spoke with NewsFeed about the brand’s international expansion, the thrill of spotting her bags on the street and the new Mulberry flagship store in New York City. What’s it like for you when you see your bags dangling on arms in the real world, away from the fashion shows and parties? Oh God, it’s the most amazing thing, really. When you’re a designer, that’s what it’s really about. Thinking that somebody has spent their hard-earned money and [is] loving it. That’s the ultimate feeling. We have an amazing fan base. They post pictures of themselves on websites with their new bags. It’s terribly sweet and endearing. Those fans include trendy twenty-somethings and busy moms toting diapers. Why does the brand appeal to so many types of people? It is amazing because not many brands do it. I think it’s just really easy to wear. It’s not self-conscious. You can wear it in any way you want. When I think of the iconic bags, like the Bayswater or the Alexa, they don’t rely on a certain age or a certain kind of person or living a certain kind of life. Some people wear the Bayswater all done up and keep it really tidy and neat, and other people like me make it all squidgy. That really helps. It may be that it feels like it’s not an untouchable brand. I think we’re very friendly which helps people from all sorts of walks of life love us. (LIST: The Top 10 Fashion Houses on Facebook) Mulberry’s sales shot up by 69% last year, and profits before tax rose more than 350%. How have you managed to grow the brand during these leaner times? The days of having hundreds of handbags at home are over. More people are looking for a heritage bag or a forever bag. They are not looking for something that is![]()
