Mulberry launches its first carbon-neutral bag range

Luxury British leather goods brand, Mulberry, has unveiled ‘Lily Zero,’ its first carbon-neutral bag line, with 12 new models added to its famous ‘Lily’ collection, which has become one of the brand’s defining shapes.

The collection is carbon neutral all the way from field to shop floor and is in line with Mulberry’s commitment to become Net-Zero by 2035 and expand on the brand’s ‘Made to Last’ ideology, which was released last year in celebration of the brand’s 50th anniversary.

The “soft and supple day-to-evening chain bags” are available in a range of sizes, colors, and designs, including the original ‘Lily’ silhouette and ‘Top Handle,’ all with the brand’s trademark “postman’s lock” hardware and all made in Mulberry’s carbon-neutral Somerset factory.

The bags were made using carbon-neutral leather from a German tannery that measures, cuts, and offsets its carbon emissions. The carbon-neutral leather is currently utilized on all of Mulberry’s thick grain styles, which account for 26% of the AW22 range.

Mulberry CEO, Thierry Andretta, said that he is extremely delighted to unveil ‘Lily Zero,’ Mulberry’s first carbon-neutral line, which marks another milestone on their sustainability path, towards enhanced transparency and their target of Net-Zero by 2035.

Andretta added that the ‘Lily Zero’ showcases what they can do when they collaborate closely with their long-term partners. This reaffirms Mulberry’s commitment to a sustainable future, as indicated in their ambitious Made to Last philosophy, which was released last year in conjunction with their 50th anniversary.

A ‘Life Cycle Assessment’ was also conducted to analyze the entire carbon emissions of the range, including components, transportation, and packaging, all of which were offset with the World Land Trust, Mulberry’s carbon offsetting partner.

Along with the new collection, the new ‘Lily Zero’ ad envisions the future as a futuristic environment augmented by an Instagram AR filter. The filter activates a doorway through which the user may totally immerse oneself in a surreal setting and digitally try on the new ‘Lily.’

Mulberry started a ‘Made to Last’ podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts on 5 May 2022, presented by fashion journalist Susie Lau, to investigate the origins of leather’s place in fashion history and its role in a sustainable future. The series takes the listener on a journey over three episodes, bringing to life areas of the manifesto by the same name, speaking to a variety of people including television presenter Miquita Oliver, fashion designer Nicholas Daley, fashion historian Judith Watt, and Rob Percival, writer and head of food policy at the Soil Association.

In addition, as part of Mulberry’s commitment to openness, the company is issuing its first sustainability report, which will be accessible to download on the Mulberry website this month.

The report emphasizes the growth to 88% of leather obtained from environmentally-accredited tanneries, with a goal of reaching 100 percent by 2023, as well as information on the Mulberry Exchange, which has repaired and refurbished over 10,000 goods at its Lifetime Service Centre. Thousands of pre-owned Mulberry bags have also found new homes.

Prices for the ‘Lily Zero’ collection begin at £950 and are available in shops worldwide and on the Mulberry website.