Hope you are feeling better Dry....
Some interesting developments over at Mulberry; the creative director Kate Hillier has left in what insiders are saying is a major clash with the new CEO Bruno Guillon and owner Christina Ong. They want Mulberry to compete with the Hermes and Vuittons in the luxury leather goods market and this is one reason why the bags retail price has gone stratospheric over the last few years. Hillier's departure has taken 28% off the forecast profits and a share price drop from £25 to £9:40.
Hillier does that quirky British thing very well but Guillon doesn't get that and is also adverse to the celebrity heavy endorsement that Mulberry has used so cleverly (even though I always think this ends up biting you in the bum). Continental Europe doesn't get Mulberry either and it is thus trying to reposition itself in the market.
I am very disappointed by the way my Alexa has aged. Granted it is calf hair and that is very delicate but it has eroded very badly. My Ox leather Roxanne, Mabel and Edie are all okay although the flat studs show too great a willingness to drop off.
I like this Rebecca Minkoff bag and this one too.
I have been re-reading some of my favourite articles from US Vogue. I love Plum Sykes knowingly languid 'Zelda' like writing; she crafts some great pieces about less mainstream aspects of the Fashion world. A good one to start with is 'A Twist To The Wrist' published in Us Vogue Oct 2008 in which she bemoans the dearth of garments with sleeves, especially sleeves for long arms. Another good article is about the poor finish on very expensive designer garments and her perennial search for replacement buttons and fastenings which have fallen off a matter of days after purchase (Losing Her Buttons April 2006). Stella McCartney is described as a serial offender. Another favourite article in September 2007 describes her quest for the perfect brooch and how to wear it.
These should all be in the online US Vogue archive.