I used to love Mulberry organiser paper – thick and creamy with soothing brown text and the little Mulberry logo on each page. So I was so disappointed to find out this year that they have new paper – in white and grey. I am not a fan of white paper. On the plus side it is tough but thin and has glorious Smythson-alike watermarks on each page.
I was interested to read the following on the covering page:
Provenance
Mulberry agendas are a classic and much loved accessory. We have recently spent time reviewing the inserts for these personal diaries to make sure we are offering the most useful organiser for you. This is as well as keeping it up-to-date with the Mulberry brand to give you ethically sourced simplicity, practicality and luxury.
Your new diary pages are produced and printed in the UK, using the very best materials that are sympathetic to the environment. We have sourced the paper from one of the longest established and most highly regarded, top quality writing paper manufacturers in the world. Working with them we have developed this paper especially for you.
The Mulberry watermark that appears on each page is your guarantee of this quality.
Mulberry’s policy of working in harmony with our landscape is an essential ingredient in our pursuit of excellence as well as our dedication to high ethical and environmental standards. We have updated the design and optimised the space and layout and you may notice that some pages, including weight conversion charts, have been removed, This is so we can make these sections more personal for you, with added notes pages and space for your own information.
My questions are:
Are they doing what Filofax have done – scaling down on quality and selection in order to survive the digital age but maintaining they are giving their users what they want? Or are they actually doing what Filofax should be doing – sourcing great paper locally for relatively small runs?
I will be testing and coming back about the quality. Have to say though the grey text is rather luxurious and I do love the watermark.
So far I love the paper. I was a little disappointed to see the change since I liked the layout of last years calendar, but I am able to use so many more pens with this paper. Most I am unable to use on any Filofax paper. This will be the first year for me using the Mulberry since I just got it, and the refills included were from 2008, but I could see the quality in them. The white paper and watermarks are beautiful. And the lists pages and games pages are extra nice.
I really hope it’s the latter!