Mulberry focuses on Bayswater bag for its 20th anniversary

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 11, 2023

Luxury bags specialist Mulberry has gone through a lot of change in the past 20 years but one thing has remained reasonably constant (with some tweaks and additions along the way) — its top-selling Bayswater bag.

Born in the era of ‘It’ bags (of which it was definitely one, being carried by Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung, Rihanna and Kate Moss), it has stood the test of time and the label is celebrating the bag’s 20th birthday with a new take on it.

As part of the 20th anniversary, three new styles are being introduced: the compact East/West Bayswater, described as “a distinctly Mulberry take on the noughties renaissance”; the North/South Bayswater Tote, a “go-anywhere shoulder bag”; and the contemporary Zipped Bayswater Tote, “a roomy hold-all that is adaptable thanks to its multi- zip detailing”. 

Other newness for the season includes a poppy palette of Geranium Pink, Acid Green, and Pigment Blue. The Mini Bayswater — introduced in the wake of its early success — has also been reimagined with a summer season spin, handmade in raffia.

And there’s an accompanying campaign, starring new and pre-loved styles from the Bayswater family, shot by Ronan McKenzie, and styled by Eliza Conlon. It features “personalities who reflect the Mulberry spirit” including Lily McMenamy, Alva Claire, Laura Morgan, Florence Nicholls, Gift Nyakuta, Jiashan Liu, and Joakim Gjemmestad.

The company said it “breaks the fourth wall, capturing honest moments between the subject and image makers behind the camera in a series of uplifting short videos”.

Of course, despite the updates, the bag isn’t changing too much. It’s the timelessness of the item fits well with the modern obsession with durability and sustainability and there’s a lively trade in pre-loved Bayswaters being bought by consumers who were just toddlers when it was first created.

The bag has, since 2022, been crafted exclusively from environmentally-accredited and carbon-neutral leather and this year, it has also undergone a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with the goal of understanding and identifying areas of potential improvement to further reduce its carbon emissions.

Mulberry CEO Thierry Andretta said: “At the heart of Mulberry are timeless collections that champion contemporary British design, quality craftsmanship and competitively priced luxury. It is always wonderful to see a bag capture the public interest, but our ultimate goal is to make bags that will be used for a lifetime and passed onto the next generation. The Bayswater embodies our Made to Last ethos, which is one of the reasons why after 20 years it remains an emblem of enduring style and continues to be one of our best- loved designs.”