The year is 2011.

If we believe the newspapers the world is on the brink of economic meltdown, countries are looking as if they may default on their debt even the great United States has had it’s credit rating reduced.

Unemployment is up yet commodity prices like food, oil etc are rising fast.

You would expect a luxury fashion brand would just want to bury themselves in a warm duvet and wake up when the economic storm has passed but Mulberry are actually having a record breaking year !

Twelve months ago the company was valued at around £ 162 million but now is valued at over £ 1 billion as it’s share prices have rocketed.

On closer inspection it’s perhaps easier to understand why the company has bucked the trend and continues to make money in these trying times.

Firstly, luxury goods don’t necessarily suffer that much in times of recession. The people who can afford to buy them in the first place will still have money to buy them when many others might struggle.

Secondly, luxury goods by their very nature are made from the highest quality materials available on the market and created by expert craftsmen. This means you are getting a product that will last for years. Mulberry use very high quality leather which becomes richer over time making the bag look even better once it’s a few years old.

Finally, Mulberry have seemed to hit the right formula for creating handbags that the public adore. The Mulberry Alexa was the last bag that they created which caused a sensation when it was launched and even today it’s still a major influence on the sales figures. The Mulberry Carter bag is also attracting rave reviews and if it’s success is anything like the Alexa’s then we’d strongly recommend buying shares in Mulberry !!!

The website, www.littleblackdress.co.uk are running a competition giving away a brand new Mulberry wallet purse in either Foxglove Pink or Bright Cabbage.

All you need to do is click on the photo on the left which links to the company’s facebook page, then give the site a “Like” rating and fill out your name and email address with your choice of either of the above Mulberry wallets.

Good luck girls !

The new queen (or should that be “princess”) of British style has chosen to trumpet the British fashion industry by wearing one of the most iconic British fashion brands in the world. Kate Middleton on her recent trip to Canada and the U.S.A. carried a Mulberry Polly Push Lock Tote bag.

The new Duchess of Cambridge is all too aware that the world’s press are scrutinising her every move and choice of clothes and accessories and what better way to respond to this daunting challenge than by being a sartorial ambassador for the best of British fashion.

Although Mulberry weren’t available to comment on Kate’s choice of handbag there can be no doubt that this will probably help to elevate the bag to classic status !

Mulberry have announced the start of their Summer sale with hundreds of pounds off retail price tags !

An example being a Tillie Tote Chestnut Soft Matte leather bag that was £ 1050 is now reduced to £ 735.

There’s an extensive range of bags in the sale and some of the savings are breath taking. Another example is the Mulberry Alexa Bengal Tiger Haircalf bag which normally retails at £ 2043, in the sale the price has been slashed to £ 1021 !!

If your budget is a little more modest then there are some great bargains to be found with Mulberry purses. A Tillie All in One Snake Print purse has been reduced to £ 282 from      £ 403 which is still a considerable saving.

Check the sale out here

It isn’t just us mere mortals who love the feel of a brand new Mulberry bag, celebrities do too ! What’s more, they can afford to buy more Mulberry bags then we can ever dream of……..grrrrr!

Who better to begin with then Mulberry’s own “poster girl”, Kate Moss.

Kate Moss is frequently seen with a Mulberry swinging from her arm and it’s a brand that compliments Kate and Kate also compliments the Mulberry brand.

Both are examples of British fashion icons that have taken the world by storm and it seems rather apt that they both love each other !

Our next celebrity even had a Mulberry bag named after her ! Alexa Chung’s hip fashion style caught the eye of the chief designer at Mulberry who decided to create a bag and name it “Alexa”.

The Alexa bag is now one of Mulberry’s biggest ever sellers and I’m sure Alexa Chung will never be short of Mulberry bags in her wardrobe.

Desperate Housewives star, Eva Longoria, has also been spotted carrying a Mulberry bag.

The handbag in question is the Mulberry Hanover which perhaps demonstrates that Mulberry truly has cross Atlantic appeal

The photo on the right shows our Eva sporting another Mulberry from her collection

This is Roger Saul, an often unrecognised figure behind the success of Mulberry.

Roger started the company in the 1970′s with his family knocking out leather goods from his garage. Orders soon begin to flood in from prestigious stores from around the world and Saul found himself at the head of the newest lifestyle brand on the block.

However, Saul found himself outmanoeuvered in the boardroom and lost control of the company he loved so much.

The history of Mulberry bags

Hot off the presses, Mulberry have launched a book to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

It’s a fascinating inside look into the brand over the last few years documenting how the Mulberry team go about designing such lushious bags.

The book itself is beautifully put together with photography by renowned photographer, Venetia Dearden.

Here’s a link to Mulberry’s own video previewing the Mulberry book.

We’ve all heard of the now iconic Mulberry Alexa bag (how many “iconic” bags do Mulberry keep blessing us with ?) and now the baby Alexa bag is available to buy.

It’s official name is the Mulberry Mini Alexa bag.

It comes with an adjustable leather strap that can also be detached if required and also with the famouse Mulberry signature mark of the “postman’s lock” closure.

Available in a variety of colours this is a cute and stylish way to buy into the Alexa craze.