Calling all Noughties It-girls: the Mulberry Alexa bag is back. The cross-body satchel style, which sparked waiting-lists the world over upon its January 2010 launch, was created in homage to British Vogue contributing editor, Alexa Chung. One of Mulberry’s astute design team noticed that Chung was frequently photographed with a vintage Mulberry Elkington briefcase by her side, and the sweet ode to the Somerset-based brand got their creative juices flowing.
The Alexa, a relaxed, supple take on the traditional satchel, made its way onto the well-honed arms of Chung herself, and influencers including Olivia Palermo. “It’s clearly very helpful for sales when someone like Alexa is carrying your bag,” said Mulberry chairman Godfrey Davis one month after the Alexa had landed and analysts predicted pre-tax profits in the region of £6 million.
It’s hardly surprising Mulberry is using the Alexa 2.0 as a Chung boost, during a time when the house is between creative directors (Johnny Coca left in March). The brand is not harnessing nostalgia as a sales opportunity, however. The focus is firmly on timelessness in line with Mulberry’s 50th birthday next year. “Our archives provide our design team with a source of constant inspiration, so it seemed natural to us that we would take this moment to revisit and celebrate this silhouette,” Mulberry CEO Thierry Andretta tells British Vogue. “The Alexa still feels unique and relevant; it’s both laid back and luxurious, and when coupled with the new sustainable updates, it ensures that it still feels very modern.”
Mulberry customers have been requesting the return of the capacious school-girlish bag, particularly since the start of the Mulberry Exchange service in February. Its circular programme rehomes pre-loved Mulberry bags and helps customers find styles they missed out on (as many did when the Alexa first aired). “Our guiding principle is that we make items that last a lifetime, not a season, and so often our bags are passed on from generation to generation,” says Andretta. “We frequently hear stories of one of our bags that has been handed on from mother to daughter to sister, almost as though they’re family heirlooms. It’s something we take great pride in.”
The new-look Alexa enjoys some green-conscious updates. Each iteration, from the earthy tones and classic Mulberry hues to the mood-boosting brights, is made with leather from gold standard, environmentally accredited tanneries and crafted at the brand’s carbon neutral UK factories. “We believe this will appeal to all generations – those rediscovering the bag and who remember it as the style of a generation, and also those discovering it for the first time,” adds Andretta of the trio of Alexas, priced from £895. From mini to oversized, she still looks good.
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