Mulberry & Alexa Chung Just Created Summer’s Must-Have Handbags

There are plenty of big birthdays to celebrate in a lifetime but half a century is perhaps one of the most special. This year, British heritage brand Mulberry has been celebrating its 50th anniversary with a bevy of celebrations which continue this month with an exciting designer collaboration debut. 

Teaming up with longtime muse Alexa Chung, the brand is stepping into summer with the launch of a new Mulberry Editions collection. Created alongside the model and designer, the collection includes two original handbag styles, including a large shoulder bag dubbed 'The Big Guy' and a sleek clutch named, naturally, 'The Little Guy'.

Playing with masculine shapes and feminine detailing, the designs have similar yet distinct personalities, coming in a business meeting-appropriate size and a daintier, date night alternative. Available in a number of chic, neutral colourways, the boxy bags are ideal for everyday wear. For those eager to make a statement, they're also available in a number of head-turning hues including 'The Little Guy' in apple green and 'The Big Guy' in cool aquamarine.

Vintage satchels are noted as major sources of inspiration for the collection (1970s icons like Lauren Hutton and Charlotte Rampling are big influences) but the bags' formal design also takes a cue from Mulberry’s cult Alexa handbag. Inspired by Chung’s well-loved vintage Mulberry briefcase, the buckled bag became an instant sell-out in 2010 and the brand’s recent 2020 reinvention turned heads with its softer lines and braided handles. 

Bringing the relationship full circle, the new collaboration has allowed Chung to put her own spin on her namesake, including chain straps and gold hardware. Speaking about the opportunity to update the It bag, the designer said: "The Alexa represents a moment in my life that I’m extraordinarily proud of and feel really lucky to have experienced. It’s nostalgic and sentimental and sweet and joyful. This time, I wanted to create something that straddled what the bag means to me personally but could become that for someone else’s wardrobe. I wanted to make sure that it would endure, become a future classic."