Preserving the tradition

Preserving the tradition
Godfrey Davies, chairman and chief executive of Mulberry Group.
TOGETHER with the Mulberry team, I hopped onto a train from Paddington station in London for a 2½-hour ride to the Mulberry factory in Bath Spa in Somerset,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], South-West of England. Somerset is a rural county of rolling hills and it is on the edge of the village of Chilcompton where the Mulberry factory, also called The Rookery, sits on 4ha. The majority of the 206 employees,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], most of whom have been with the company from the start, live within an 8km radius. Sheep mill around under the Mulberry trees on the grounds of the factory, where the air is pure and the pace is calm. Inside the factory, the smell of exquisite leather wafts through the air, but here, it is a hive of activity as this is the centre of production where Mulberry bags in leather and exotic skin are made. According to Mulberry chairman and chief executive Godfrey Davies,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the locals in Somerset were recognized for their skill in making leather goods, gloves and footwear in the early days. The Mulberry factory, which opened in June 1989, has continued this tradition of producing accessories with quality leather and workmanship. The Rookery at Somerset underwent a £2mil expansion project to meet the rising demand for Mulberry bags.
As the brand has been enjoying steady growth in recent years, the level of production has been on the rise to meet demand worldwide. To meet this demand, the factory underwent a £2mil (RM12.7mil) expansion project in 2006 to upgrade the Somerset facility to house the head office and increase manufacturing space. As part of the expansion plans,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Davies says that one of the problems they faced at the factory was an ageing workforce. In order to retain and increase the level of production,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], it led to a search for new staff in the Somerset region. Davies says,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], "Along with our expansion project,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], we started an apprenticeship scheme where each year,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], only 10 applicants are accepted to be trained by the existing team of craftsman, and graduates are offered full-time employment." To achieve this, Mulberry has worked with the Government-supported Skillfast UK and Bridgewater College to become pioneers of an apprenticeship programme in leather goods manufacture. This makes Mulberry the only British luxury brand retraining and investing in its British factory. Leathers and exotic skins Where does the leather come from? The majority comes from European hides mostly tanned in Italy where the skills and artistry of leather tanning is renowned worldwide. Tanning is the process of converting animal hides and skins to leather. Mulberry is known for Darwin leather. What is this? Darwin leather was developed using a unique vegetable tanning process,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], which brings out the natural characteristics. A special feature of this leather is that it will age,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], enhancing its soft natural look. Machine-stamping of the Mulberry logo onto leather pieces.
What other leathers does Mulberry use? Congo,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], which is vegetable tanned, and Glove, which is naturally tanned. However,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the brand is always sourcing to achieve the latest and most exciting finishes. What is the most expensive exotic skin used by Mulberry? The most expensive is crocodile skin where only the lower layer is used, as it is softer. Other exotic skins used are snake and ostrich. All exotic skins are backed with suede. Where do these raw materials come from? Supplies are from the by-products of the meat industry. How should each of the leathers be cared for? As each leather has its own special qualities,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], we put a separate care label on each product. For example,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], we add a bottle of nourisher for the aftercare of Glove and Congo bags, whereas we recommend the use of colonel water spot spray on Darwin. Labour of love How long does it take to produce a Mulberry bag? That depends on style but a Bayswater takes three hours and 40 minutes from start to finish. How many stages of production are there? Again,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], depending on the product but a Bayswater has 41 operations from start to finish. Inking or painting on the edges of the leather of a Mulberry bag.
What is the most labour intensive stage of the production? The stitching, as it takes about two hours. How many Mulberry bags are made in a year and how many at the Rookery? Currently,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], around 220,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],000 per year are produced in total,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], although this is increasing. About 50,000 of these are made in the Rookery. How many Bayswater bags are produced in a year? About 20,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],000. Does Mulberry keep waiting lists? Mulberry always does its best to fulfil every customer's request as soon as possible. However,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], extremely high demand has meant there are some occasions where a waiting list is kept. Related Stories:
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