Written by Menswear Style in New Collections on the 13th January 2022

Mulberry has launched Mulberry x Nicholas Daley, the latest collaboration in the Mulberry Editions series. For this capsule, Daley reinterprets Mulberry’s Antony, the iconic unisex satchel and creates a line-up of music inspired accessories. A reflection of the expansive, globe-spanning perspective that defines his namesake brand. The collaboration is a proud celebration of both musical history and the creative communities to which both brands belong. Launched as a celebration of craftsmanship and contemporary design, Mulberry Editions draws inspiration from the brand’s most emblematic styles, and invites some of the most original voices in fashion today to interpret Mulberry’s timeless design heritage and DNA.

Acclaimed London-based designer, Daley is known for a design practice rooted in three core values: culture, craftsmanship, and community. Thematically, the preservation of British craft, the exploration of the designer’s dual Jamaican and Scottish heritage and music, with its associated visual identities, are further key pillars for the brand. For this capsule, Daley evokes the era defining sonic movements of the 1960s and 1970s, the heydays of jazz, reggae and rock’n’roll. The Antony has been interpreted in five size options - including a brand-new oversized iteration, created exclusively for the capsule. Whipstitch, fringe and braided motifs nod to the outfits and accessories worn by Miles Davis, Roy Ayers and Jimi Hendrix on stage, as does the capsule’s tonal palette of navy, ochre and oak. 

The collaboration also breaks new ground through a series of luxury musical accessories - a first for Mulberry - created specifically with Daley’s close community of stage-performing musicians in mind. Fringed guitar and saxophone straps are crafted in complementary suede tones, while a plectrum case and hats feature embroidery techniques that echo artisanal leather goods found across North Africa and the Caribbean. 

Imagined in contrasting panels of suede, grained leather and cotton canvas, the capsule echoes the rich textural plays of Daley’s ready-to-wear collections. A further mark of his design ingenuity can be seen in his treatment of Mulberry’s iconic Postman’s Lock hardware, which has been discreetly inverted, turned to a north-south orientation, and framed by fine embroidery. The result is a collection that speaks to Mulberry and Nicholas Daley’s mutual commitment to marrying creativity, innovation and timelessness through design.

Further shared values can be found in the championing of British craftsmanship and sustainable business practices, combining Mulberry’s Made to Last ethos with Daley’s community conscious approach to design. The Regular and Oversized Antony models have been crafted at Mulberry’s carbon-neutral factories in Somerset, and all leathers and suedes used are accredited by the Leather Working Group, the leading global certification for responsible leather manufacturing. 

For the capsule’s accompanying campaign film, the pieces are brought to life in their natural habitat - amid the joyful sounds of a live jazz session. Offering insight into the creative community of which the brand is a key fixture, it features a performance of a specially written composition by Sons of Kemet frontman Shabaka Hutchings, accompanied by Grammy-nominated recording artist Lianne La Havas. The band comprises Daisy George, Jasmine Kayser and Shirley Tettah, and a horn section featuring Grifton Forbes-Amos, Elijah Clarke and David Laleye-Thomas who are some of the most talented members of Tomorrow’s Warriors, a talent development charity which for over 30 years has nurtured some of London’s most exciting young jazz artists.

The capsule comprises an Antony, a Mini Antony, a Small Antony, an Antony Messenger and an Oversized Antony. These are accompanied by a Guitar Strap, a Saxophone Strap, a Plectrum Case, a Leather Patchwork Hat and Bucket Hat. The collection launches in store and on mulberry.com on January 13th 2022.

A first look at the Mulberry Editions series, Antony Satchel, and Music inspired accessories in the Mulberry x Nicholas Daley collection.