Mulberry & Paul Smith Team Up On New Capsule

If there’s one thing we can say with certainty when it comes to British brands, it’s that they have style. So, when two come together, that style factor is ultimately doubled. The result? Well, if you’re Mulberry and Paul Smith, this leads to a collaborative collection celebrating heritage, history and British creativity. Get ready to meet the ‘Antony’ collection.

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First Look: The Mulberry x Paul Smith Capsule Collection

The news is out: British icons Mulberry and Paul Smith have teamed up for a new, limited edition collection of bags. Celebrating the heritage of both brands by bringing together Mulberry’s Antony bag and Paul Smith’s flair for colourful stripes, the collection has been described as reflecting a ‘shared appreciation of heritage style and history of championing the British creative community.’

Look familiar? Eagle-eyed fans will have spotted the collection earlier this year, when it was previewed during Paul Smith’s AW23 men’s show in Paris.

Paul Smith Menswear AW23, Paris Fashion Week

‘Paul Smith and Mulberry were founded within a year of each other in the 1970s, so you could say our brands grew up and came of age together,’ said Sir Paul Smith. ‘I think that’s at least partly why we share such a similar approach to creativity and craft – that and our Britishness. Working together to ensure the collection was created in the UK was something we knew we wanted to do from the beginning, and the results speak for themselves.’

‘We’re delighted to be collaborating with Paul Smith on a collection that celebrates our shared values of creativity, craft and British heritage,’ added Mulberry CEO Thierry Andretta. ‘Reflecting our Made to Last ethos and longstanding commitment to manufacturing in the UK, we are proud that every piece in the collection will be made at one of our two carbon-neutral Somerset factories.’

What Will Be In The Collection?

The 10-piece capsule is a unisex bag collection, which used Mulberry’s signature Antony style as its starting point. The Antony has its own rich heritage within the brand, having first been introduced as a men’s everyday bag (and inspired by traditional leather postman’s bags). It has since become an iconic style for the British brand, worn by both men and women. Alongside three sizes of this design, the collection features two brand new silhouettes: the Antony Clip (a mini crossbody) and the Antony Tote.

And when it came to incorporating the spirit of Paul Smith in the collection, the decision was made to highlight the brand’s signature use of stripes. Visualised in ‘two distinct stories’, the designs can be separated into two themes: the first a classic black heavy grain leather with striped webbing straps and pop colour lining, and the second a smooth calf’s leather with bold colour-blocking that incorporates Paul Smith’s new Shadow Stripe motif (reimagined here in embossed leather).

Green Machine: British Craft & Heritage

Another reason why Mulberry and Paul Smith gel so well in this collection is because the two brands share a greater commitment to sustainability – as suggested by Mulberry’s Made to Last ethos and Paul Smith’s Path to Sustainability manifesto.

The collection benefits from this mindset, as the brands endeavoured to bring it to life through ethical and local means. For example, each item in the collection has been produced in the UK at Mulberry’s carbon-neutral Somerset factories (where over half of the brand’s collections are still made), using carbon neutral leather certified Gold by the Leather Working Group.

When Will The Collection Launch?

The limited edition Mulberry x Paul Smith collection will launch on 4 September 2023, with prices starting from £450. mulberry.com | paulsmith.com

Images courtesy of Paul Smith & Mulberry