Mulberry was founded by Roger in 1971, at his kitchen table in Somerset, with a mere £500 given to him by his mother. The famous Mulberry logo was designed by Roger's sister, and was inspired by a mulberry tree that Roger passed many times on his way to and from school as a boy. The name conjured everything English, but the logo was very ‘avant garde’, a balance Roger strove to keep throughout the Company’s meteoric growth. 

Initially, Roger started out designing buckled leather belts, but soon branched out to making handbags and womenswear. This included the 'Le Style Anglais' Collection which focused on English rural pursuits, such as hunting, shooting and fishing, demonstrating the need for a seamless transition between town and country. It was then later in 1990, that Roger launched the Mulberry All-Weather Collection, utilising high-performance tech and natural fabrics, as well as the Mulberry Sporting Pursuits Collection, which was inspired by car racing, sailing, skiing and tennis. It was also at this time, that Roger decided to extend the business into the lifestyle market, creating the Mulberry at Home Collection, which embraced all aspects of a full lifestyle, from fabric to furniture, from china to glassware, from lighting to tableware.

This sale is a celebration of Roger's 42 years at Mulberry, creating, building and evolving the label, making it into one of the most popular brands in the UK and worldwide, renowned for its exquisite leather goods and timeless designs, that combine both traditional craftsmanship with contemporary innovation.

Among the highlights of the sale is a Mulberry chestnut girthgrain, leather holdall, designed by Roger in 1975. In 2001 Mulberry was approached by Luella Bartley, a young fashion designer and former journalist, to create a bag in her name. Roger took her to his archive museum and she fell in love with the bag he had designed back in 1975. It was then at her 2001 fashion show in New York, that model Gisele Bundchen carried it along the runway and walked off at the end saying “This is mine!”. Thereafter, it was known as the Gisele, and became the basis of the succession of ‘IT’ bags that were created in the early 2000’s.

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was also a fan of the brand. The sale includes two items from Mulberry’s collections which are similar to those she purchased and wore. The first is a Mulberry waxed cotton leather drover coat, and the second is a Mulberry pleated silk floral skirt.

Other auction highlights include Mulberry leather belts, a Mulberry Home walnut and paisley upholstered armchair designed in the Victorian style, iconic tweed waistcoats, a Mulberry ski wear range, leather travel cases, as well as Kate Winslet’s Mulberry check boucle wool jacket, which she wore at a Mulberry photoshoot.

Auction Details

Wednesday 7 August, 10.30am BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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