Mulberry has opened not one, but two swish boutiques in the past month: One on premier shopping avenue Bloor Street on August 2 and another within the new luxury wing of Yorkdale Shopping Centre on August 9. I attended the store opening of the Yorkdale location to preview the setup and the goods, before leaving a little bit poorer.
Both stores have been designed by renowned British architects Universal Design Studio, who focused on creating a connection between store design and Mulberry’s dedication to craftsmanship. Tactile, natural materials like timber and limestone provide a welcoming and warm environment, while oak is used as a subtle reference to the English countryside and Mulberry’s rural roots.
Design-wise, the Yorkdale store has a double height façade, unique to the store, designed with an intricate visual texture. 5,000 individually made leaves were created by taking a leaf from the Mulberry logo, and used across the entire store frontage. The Mulberry is an iconic symbol for the brand as there is a real Mulberry tree outside the grounds of the brand’s flagship factory in Somerset, England.
The store stocks both men’s and women’s accessories, including iconic bags like the Bayswater, Alexa, Del Rey and the new Willow. I was told that, globally, the Alexa is the bestselling bag, however, the Willow — if you have the cash to spare — is truly an investment piece. I’ve included a photo of one of the Willows here in Oxblood and, as you can probably see, the best thing about this bag is that the front pouch is a wholly detachable clutch or iPad case!
While the Willow retails above the $2000 mark, if you’re looking for your own twig of Mulberry for under $300, you may want to check out their beautiful cuff bracelets, as well as their smaller clutch bags that are made from the same buttery soft and ethically sourced calf leather. And of course, if you don’t live near Toronto, you’ll be pleased to here that not only can you shop on Mulberry’s website, but the brand is next eyeing up locations in Calgary and Vancouver for the near future.
Images via Mulberry
