It's a satchel. Or perhaps a briefcase. Or perhaps a handbag. Or perhaps all three. It's definitely a trophy, a portable statement of a desire to be considered fashionable, the leather expression of cool. It's the Mulberry Alexa.
The Alexa was conceived in tribute to Alexa Chung, the British broadcaster, model and fashion icon so routinely referenced in the style press that she'd be something of a meaningless cliché if she weren't quite so good at wearing clothes. The bag was first mooted after Mulberry creatives leafed through a magazine and spotted a photograph of Chung carrying an Elkington, Mulberry's classic men's briefcase. "We loved how it looked," says Emma Hill, Mulberry's creative director, "and we thought designing a bag that was inspired by Alexa, by that particular image, was just… a nice thing to do. And, of course, Mulberry has this tradition of naming bags after girls. But it wasn't a collaboration [with Alexa Chung]; she didn't contribute to the design process."
"It's an adaptable bag – you can wear it in different ways. Over your shoulder, over your body, carry it in your hand. So, it feels like you're getting more, in that sense. And it's not gaudy. It's easy, understated, but kind of exceptional. I always say it's the anti-It bag that somehow became an It bag." - says Emma Hill.
Alexa comes in three sizes, the Mini Alexa, the Alexa and the Oversized Alexa. Oversized Alexa shapes similar proportions to another famous bag Bayswater, while the Alexa is a smaller style. The Mini Alexa is one size down from the Regular, with a smaller handle and long messenger strap that can still be worn across the body.
SIZES:
• The mini Alexa handbag that fits in the hand, over the shoulder, across the body or can be carried in the crook of the arm.
Height: 17cm, Width: 22cm, Depth: 10cm, Handle drop: 6cm, Shoulder strap: 112-128cm
• The Alexa handbag that fits in the hand, over the shoulder, across the body or can be carried in the crook of the arm.
Height: 23cm, Width: 33cm, Depth: 17cm, Handle drop:11cm, Shoulder strap: 112-128 cm
• The oversized Alexa is roomy handbag that fits in the hand, over the shoulder, across the body or can be carried in the crook of the arm.
Height: 32cm, Width: 37cm, Depth: 17cm, Handle drop:10cm, Shoulder strap: 112-128 cm
Prices range for Mulberry Alexa from £550 (2012). It was originally made at the factory in Somerset but because of high demand production had to be moved abroad.
P.S.
Information sourse: guardian.co.uk, mulberry.com
Pictures: weheartit.com, google.com