Paul Smith debuts Mulberry collaboration at PFW

Two of Britain’s best-known designer labels, Mulberry and Paul Smith, debut their upcoming collaboration of unisex bags for autumn/winter 2023 at Smith’s catwalk showcase at Paris Fashion Week.

The Mulberry x Paul Smith collaboration will launch in autumn with a 10-piece capsule collection that reworks Mulberry’s timeless messenger bag, the ‘Antony’ with Smith’s colourful signature stripe webbing straps, bold colour-blocking and shadow stripe embossing.

The collaboration was born out of a “shared approach to heritage style and sustainable innovation,” explained both brands in a statement, while celebrating both companies' British heritage and commitment to craft.

Sir Paul Smith, said: “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. I think that’s at least partly why we share such a similar approach to creativity and craft – that and our Britishness.”

Mulberry to launch capsule collection with Paul Smith for AW23

The full capsule, which will be available later in the year, will include two brand new silhouettes, the ‘Antony Clip’ and the ‘Antony Tote’. Each style will be crafted in the UK at Mulberry’s carbon-neutral Somerset factories with leather sourced from Gold Standard tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group.

Thierry Andretta, chief executive at Mulberry, added: “British creativity and craft are central to the Mulberry x Paul Smith collaboration, and we are proud that the full collection will be made in the UK at our two carbon-neutral Somerset factories.”

Both brands have released several collaborations in recent years, Smith with Adidas and Manchester United, while Mulberry has placed a spotlight on emerging talent including Nicholas Daley, Richard Malone, and Priya Ahluwalia. Paul Smith has also launched ‘&PaulSmith,’ a mentorship programme supported by the Paul Smith Foundation, with menswear designer Priya Ahluwalia being the inaugural recipient, followed by New York-based brand Commission.