Mulberry- Nicholas Knightly

[Lena]

thank you for the new photos softgrey,

i like the 'englishness' of the line and -even if it could be done better- i still love the atmosphere of the fashion shoot

 

[softgrey]

i agree...i'm a sucker for all things anglo...

 

[runner]

Stuart Vevers Named as New Creative Director at Mulberry

September 22, 2004 - London

Mulberry is the British success story of the moment. Last winter you couldn't move for the Mulberry "Bayswater" bag. In spring, "Roxy" was the one. At the current round of London shows "Kiera" in Kelly green, "Jacquetta" in chocolate brown, gold "Aimee" and the cute "Baby Roxy" are almost too popular for comfort.

Mulberry, which is owned by hotelier/luxury goods retailer Christina Ong, has the designer Nicholas Knightly to thank for their huge surge in popularity. He calls his design ethos "attic dressing," he channels British aristocratic eccentricity, his icon is Princess Anne ­and his puff-sleeved tweed jackets, tie-neck polka dot blouses and all those cute bags are right on the money. Problem: Knightly resigned in July to take a senior post at Louis Vuitton. Solution? Stuart Vevers, 30, who as serendipity would have it, will depart Louis Vuitton to take up Knightly's vacated post on December 1.

Vevers, who has worked as an accessories designer at Calvin Klein, Bottega Veneta, Givenchy during Julien Macdonald¹s tenure, and Louis Vuitton as well as co-owning and designing Luella Bartley¹s bag collection, has a history with Mulberry. Three years ago he and Luella Bartley approached the company with an idea for a roomy leather tote bag criss-crossed with straps and buckles and hung with hearts, which the company duly had made as a catwalk sample in their Somerset factory. Following a turn on the catwalk with Gisele Bundchen, "The Gisele" as it came to be known, was initially sold through Mulberry under Luella's
name. Since taking it into their own collection Bartley and Vevers have gone on to sell 30,000 units worldwide, at £600/$1100 each. Not bad for a first attempt at being in the luxury goods business.

Vevers, who comes from Carlisle and studied design at Harrow is a down to earth guy who has a spectacular understanding of what makes a fashion accessory work. "Its all about more," he says. "Make it more gold, more pink, put more buckles, make them bigger!"

Vevers is delighted with his new job. "It's the best of Britishness," he told the London Times today. "That cool, eclectic thing of great individual pieces that never look as though they are trying too hard. Nicholas did a fantastic job and I intend to complement that. I¹m not an ego designer who wants to come in and make everything in my image. There are so many brands that want to obliterate their heritage, but Mulberry's archives are amazing and I want to build on them." We can't wait.

FWD

 

[helena]

thats interesting - I didn't know CB had left Mulberry to go to LVMH. Wonder how mulberry will pan out now? Can't imagine it will be any cheaper....

 

[softgrey]

oh no...make it more?...make it bifgger?...why not just say...make it garish and tasteless???

that luella bag is ok if you're 20 something...but mulberry is so much more elegant and grown up...without being stuffy...

i'm less than excited about this change...because it also means that lv bags will probably get even more outrageously priced than they already are...

oh well...so much for continuity..just when mulberry was getting good...they should have fought to keep him...imo...but i guess it's hard to fight lvmh and their deep pockets...

 

[helena]

the luella bag is so overexposed here. all the cheap tarts have them...

 

[runner]

Mulberry Nabs LVMH Accessories Specialist Stuart Vevers as New Creative Director

September 23, 2004 - Paris

Mulberry has named LVMH consultant Stuart Vevers to be its new design director, making for a game of designer musical chairs.

Vevers effectively replaces Nicholas Knightly; who departed Mulberry last month to join Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s most profitable fashion house, as accessories design director. However, the roles at Mulberry of Vevers and Knightly, both of whom are British, would be appear to be substantially different.

Knightly was Mulberry’s ready-to-wear designer, who oversaw the label’s accessories design team. Vevers, on the other hand, is a highly experienced accessories designer, who joins Mulberry with excellent word-of-mouth buzz.

Seeing as Mulberry is essentially a leather goods specialist, appointing Vevers should strengthen the house in its central activity.

Vevers, who starts his new position on December 1, has designed the red-hot handbag line of Luella Bartley, and was the creator of the critically acclaimed Pumpkin bag from Givenchy. Vevers also designs his own signature collection, though it could not be ascertained whether he plans to continue this while at Mulberry.

This week in London, Mulberry opened a 535-square-foot London store in hip Westbourne Grove, drawing Theodora and Alexandra Richards to the party, where guests enjoyed miniature steak-and-kidney pies, roast beef and Yorkshire puddings and lamb-and-mint Cumberland sausages.

Mulberry, which recently debuted in Bergdorf Goodman, posted its first profit in many years in 2004 on sales of some $45 million, after a long period of red ink.

Roger Saul founded the label, famed for its vegetable-dyed, worn finished bags. However, since two years it has been controlled by the savvy fashion investors Ong Beng Seng and Christina Ong, who gained power after falling out with Saul.

FWD

 

[softgrey]

so if he's an accessories designer...who is going to design mulberry's ready-to-wear?...

 

[softgrey]

and does that mean nicolas knightley will be designing vuitton ready-to wear?...hmmm....

 

[kimair]

Originally posted by softgrey@Sep 23 2004, 12:34 PM
and does that mean nicolas knightley will be designing vuitton ready-to wear?...hmmm....

[snapback]373686[/snapback]​

According to WWD, Knightly's new position at Vuitton is accessories design director.

 

[softgrey]

oh....thank you kimair...

 

[lmonte1221]

My fav!

 

[softgrey]

my hearst would sing with glee if all three mulberry threads were joined together...

 

[saturnine]

Revamping stuffy British fashion houses is obviously the new black.

 

[softgrey]

Originally posted by saturnine@Nov 17 2004, 12:53 AM
Revamping stuffy British fashion houses is obviously the new black.

[snapback]435288[/snapback]​

B)