New designer bag created in partnership with low carbon leather pioneers Muirhead
Designer bag brand Mulberry has this week announced the launch of a new range of low-carbon leather handbags, created through a transparent ‘farm to finished product’ model that promises to slash supply chain emissions for the high profile firm.
The limited-edition collection of bags is available features the company’s popular Soft Small Amberley Satchel design in four colours, Cornflower Blue, Coral Orange, Black, and Charcoal.
The bag is made from low-carbon Hawthorn Heavy Grain leather that has been produced in partnership with leading Scottish leather manufacturer, Muirhead, as part of a series of new partnership collections launched to celebrate Mulberry’s 50th anniversary.
“I’m pleased to launch Mulberry’s first capsule collection of regenerative ‘farm to finished product’,” said Thierry Andretta, CEO of Mulberry. “The collection represents the future of the business as we continue to build a network of regenerative and organic farms to supply the hides to create our leather across the UK and Europe. This reinforces Mulberry’s bold commitment to the future, outlined in our Made to Last manifesto published earlier this year to mark our 50th anniversary.”
The company said all the raw hides used in the collection were sourced from within the UK and Ireland, and tanned, treated and finished by Muirhead at a leather production site near Glasgow. Each bag is then made in the Mulberry’s Somerset factories, which have been awarded ‘carbon neutral’ status.
The production of Muirhead leather uses thermal energy generated from waste heat, the firm said, adding that the resulting end product is the world’s lowest carbon intensity leather with a carbon footprint of 1.1kg of CO2 per hide. Moreover, the company’s factory maximises water usage by filtering and recycling 40 per cent of its wastewater back into leather production.
Nicholas Muirhead, managing director at Muirhead said: “We are delighted to form a strategic partnership with global British brand Mulberry, to support their sustainable and responsible business goals. Muirhead developed the lowest carbon soft and supple leather for the fashion industry to reduce carbon intensity even in the high luxury segment.”
The partnership builds on Mulberry’s ambition to develop a regenerative and circular model as part of its plans to reach net zero by 2035.
