This is a bag I will never sell. I love it because it is so beautiful and also because it is such a part of Mulberry history.
Luella Bartley had some handbag designs but no money. So Mulberry agreed to make the bags for her. I think this was around 2001. Mulberry was a well-established brand but seen as rather staid and fusty. Their scotchgrain leather wore like a dream but you were more likely to see someone in Wellies (before they became trendy), a headscarf and Barbour carrying a Mulberry than a celebrity. This was before the Bayswater, before the Roxanne and the Alexa and before Mulberry became so trendy.
These bags were beautiful and made for one season only. There were canvas multi-pocketed bags in this collection as well and I almost got into a fight for one at Dickins and Jones in London 🙂
Description
A large east-westish type bag with short handles. Unlined with one internal zipper pocket. 4 ‘feet’ under the bag. Flapover closure. Made of brown harness leather with white stitching.
Pros
Absolutely beautiful to look at. Not too heavy. The leather is magnificent – never shows marks, rain, scuffs, scratches. Mine is about 13 years old and looks as good as new. The workmanship is better than any Mulberry bag I have ever seen. The complicated straps don’t make it difficult to get in and out. It’s like a bondage Hermés Birkin so I just leave the straps loose and it looks good.
Cons
The short straps.
Below is the reason the bag is called the Giselle. Giselle Bündchen walked for Mulberry in 2001 carrying it. This was the larger version than I have though.
Here is a (very bad) photo of me carrying mine.
And then a gallery of this beautiful beautiful bag
