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Mulberry at Skills England with UKFT

31/03/2021

Mulberry believes that craft skills should be celebrated and safeguarded for future generations. At its Somerset factories, the company combines traditional techniques with the latest technology to minimise waste and optimise material usage.

Mulberry’s UK factories support up to 50% of its leather bag production. Read more here.

Born in 1971, the roots of Mulberry are in Somerset, England. Mulberry’s founder, Roger Saul, established the brand at his kitchen table, with £500 backing from his mother. His sister designed the instantly-recognisable tree logo – both that, and the name “Mulberry” come from the trees he would pass each day on his way to school. All of this represented a love of nature, the importance of family and the growth of a fundamentally British brand.

The first designs were buckled leather belts – soon, other accessories followed, including iconic bags and a womenswear line in 1979. The hallmarks of these Mulberry creations – timeless design coupled with traditional quality and a sense of the here and now – are the threads that run through everything the brand makes. Then, today and tomorrow.

Mulberry says:

“Mulberry’s heritage – and hence our identity – is quintessentially British. Early inspiration was drawn from the styles synonymous with English rural pursuits – hunting, shooting, fishing – and Mulberry’s immediately-identifiable, utterly individualistic style came to be dubbed “Le Style Anglais” in 1975. This idea still inspires us. Between town and country, between Somerset serenity and London pace, Mulberry combines authentic, age-honoured craft with an innovative fashion character. Heritage meets rebellion – rules are broken, to make something new.

Since 1971, Mulberry has been a leading British lifestyle brand, internationally acclaimed for the design and quality of products that are truly Made to Last. Mulberry’s handbags – the Bayswater, the Alexa, the Amberley, the Iris – have become contemporary classics and iconic examples of British design. Roger Saul’s successors, Nicholas Knightly, Stuart Vevers, Emma Hill and Johnny Coca, have each placed their own stamp on Mulberry as Design and Creative Directors, reinterpreting the brand to chime with modern lifestyles.

Today we see heritage as the start of our story, not the end. We continue to celebrate the contradictions of a truly British identity, revisiting our roots and looking to our archives to examine them from a fresh perspective.

We are always creating our own legacy, in everything we do.”

Find out more at Mulberry here.

UKFT AT SKILLS ENGLAND: DISCOVER CAREERS IN UK FASHION AND TEXTILES