Mulberry's Stefan Cooke collab puts focus on pre-loved

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
September 15, 2023

Mulberry x Stefan Cooke is the latest collaboration in the Mulberry Editions series from the luxury bag maker and it’s significant because it’s the first to focus on pre-loved styles from the British label’s circularity programme, The Mulberry Exchange. 

The limited-edition capsule sees Stefan Cooke co-founders Stefan Cooke and Jake Burt putting their “unique craft-focused spin on 27 pre-loved bags, which have been transformed by Mulberry’s artisans in the UK into one-off pieces that redefine the perception of pre-loved today”.

Prices start from £1,195 for collaboration one-off pieces, which is a big premium given that Mulberry Pre-Loved prices start from £200.

Included in the collab are the popular Bayswater in its 20th anniversary year, as well as the Roxanne and the Lily.

The see now, buy now collection was unveiled as part of the Stefan Cooke SS24 show on Friday during London Fashion Week and can be bought in Mulberry’s Regent Street flagship, as well as online and in the Mulberry Pre-Loved Pop-Up that opens on Saturday on Poland Street in London’s West End.

The company said the offer “combines the brand's Made to Last ethos with Stefan Cooke's unique creative lens to create a bespoke collection which champions British craftsmanship”.

It focuses on Cooke’s “witty and playful enthusiasm for upcycling and deconstruction”.

Cooke and Burt spent hours working with Mulberry's artisans at The Rookery, one of its two carbon-neutral Somerset factories, close to where Burt grew up. 

They developed “meticulous techniques to rework the 27 pre-loved bag styles by hand”.

Using deadstock leathers, these techniques “translate four of Stefan Cooke’s design codes for the collection: Bows, Swing, Braid, and Slash”.

There are also signature Cooke embellishments such as jumbo tassels made from upcycled rugby shirts, chunky button straps, and archival Mulberry print silk scarf straps. Added to this are Mulberry hardware and finishings, and a co-branded shield motif fob.

It’s all being supported by a campaign with a video that “captures the essence of the collaboration, showcasing footage from the design process at Stefan and Jake’s studio in London, and the crafting of the unique pieces at The Rookery”.