To tell if a Mulberry bag is authentic, you have to examine the bag’s features such as leather weight, texture, and scent as these cannot be perfectly replicated in a counterfeit bag.
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In 1971, Mulberry was established by Roger Saul, a young entrepreneur, and his mother Joan. They started making binocular cases and poacher bags in a small Somerset factory before moving into women’s fashion.
Under the leadership of Creative Director Emma Hill, who came into the brand in 2007, Mulberry was able to collaborate with personalities such as Lana Del Ray, Alexa Chung, and Cara Delavigne, upscaling its brand in the marketplace.
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Currently, Mulberry is one of the world’s most popular UK Handbag and Accessories brands having the Bayswater as one of their most requested bags. However compared to luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, Mulberry is new to the luxury market but had gotten its bitter taste in the counterfeit market. Counterfeiters have replicated a lot of Bayswater, Alexa, and Roxanne (it has to be stopped because it was counterfeited the most).
The Stitching and Edging Should be Straight and Even
The Heat Stamping and Metal Disc Should Feature the Tree Logo
Examine the Serial Number
Hardware Should be Stamped
In a real Mulberry bag, all its hardware parts are duly stamped. Its buckles are always stamped and the font must be consistent with that of the bag’s branding. The Mulberry handbag branding stamp should be thick, straight, and even. In a counterfeit bag, the font branding is always thinner and rough.
Also, the rivets and other round small hardware are stamped with the Mulberry tree logo. The tree logo stamp on the round small hardware should be consistent with that of the inner metal disc tree logo stamp.
Now to Zippers, Mulberry mostly makes use of two brands of zips, which are their own branded zips and the RiRi zip brand. For authentication, always check underneath a Mulberry zip, it should either feature the Mulberry tree logo or read RiRi.
For the Mulberry Bayswater (the most Mulberry requested bag style), flat head screws are used to secure the back of the front plate. In fake Mulberry Bayswater, the screws used are cheap, and most times don’t look qualitative.
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All the metalwork done with the Mulberry tree is neat and consistent with the remaining part of the bag.
Check out the Place of Production
Formerly, Mulberry produces all of its leather products in England, but this isn’t so now. Due to the fact that the Mulberry Factory in England is running at full capacity, Mulberry has outsourced some of the production to China and Turkey. Currently, the factory in England produces 70% of the brand’s products, while 30% are produced in China and Turkey. So, newer Mulberry bags can carry “made in China” or “made in Turkey.”
The Leather and Lining must be Durable and Sturdy
Mulberry bags are made from grained thick calf leather that gives it a structured and quality feel. Please do understand that not all Mulberry bags are lined and the lining does vary from one style to another.
For example, the classic Bayswater doesn’t always feature a lining. Also, the Alexa style does carry a plain canvas lining, while in some other styles, the fabric lining is printed with the mulberry tree logo. So the point here, is that the lining isn’t a good premise of authentication due to the fact that it isn’t consistent in all styles. However, examining the quality of the material used for the lining is key, because fake Mulberry bags can’t afford to make their lining look classic and even.
The Stitching and Edging Should be Straight and Even
All Mulberry bags are stitched, and the stitches are straight and even throughout. In most fake handbags, the stitching is often thick, messy, and uneven.
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Also the edges of the leather, and the edging of the handles should be neat and consistent throughout the bag, if you notice that there are irregularities in the edging, the bag may be a counterfeit one.
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The Heat Stamping and Metal Disc Should Feature the Tree Logo
All Mulberry bags come with a leather tab and an attached metal disc that is heat-stamped with its logo (for the leather tab) and engraved with the Mulberry tree (metal disc).
The heat stamp is always done on the center of the leather and it is even, while in most counterfeit bags, you will notice that the heat stamp is done off-centre showing irregularities in the stamping.
The metal disc is one of the features of the Mulberry bags that counterfeiters always get wrong. Also, the metal disc feature a serial number located underneath the disc, however, some older bags may not feature a serial number. You should note that all modern or newer Mulberry bags must feature a serial number stamped underneath the metal disc. The tee is stamped with negative space between the leaves – this is one of the areas counterfeiters get it wrong always.
Examine the Serial Number
Firstly, I will like to say that you shouldn’t panic if your Mulberry bag does not contain a serial number, especially if it is an old model. But this is a premise for suspicion if the model is a new one.
Each serial number on a Mulberry bag is unique. However there are certain serial numbers that are red flags which is used in most fake bags, some of them are – 254571, 026904, 565321, 257528, 373140, 258668, 025869, 932351, 924565, 249328, 982573, 262541, 258798, 275288, 166757, 346352, 207542, 1572839, 757156, 256678, 390207, 256760, 240535, 929976, and 929885.
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Are Mulberry Bags Good Quality?
Yes, Mulberry bags are incredibly good. Mulberry bag is durable, the hardware is very strong and solid and the leather quality is flawless. The Mulberry brand is one of the best UK fashion brands in the world. It may cost you thousands of dollars to acquire one for yourself, especially the newer models.
Which Mulberry Bags Are Made In England?
70% of the Mulberry bags are made in England in the two British factories – ‘The Rookery’ in Chilcompton founded in 1989 and ‘The Willows’ in Bridgewater founded in 2013. The remaining 30% are made in China and Turkey.
How Can You Check A Mulberry Serial Number?
To check for your Mulberry serial number, do check underneath the metal disc, you will find the serial number there. However, older models of the bag, especially the Bayswater model may not feature the serial number. However, if it is a newer model and it doesn’t feature a serial number, it is something worthy of concern.
Must All Mulberry Bag Feature the Branding Stamp
All real Mulberry handbags feature the branding stamp which is thick, even, and straight. Also, all the Mulberry rivets and round small hardware are stamped with the Mulberry tree logo. And this should be consistent with the remaining areas of the bag.
Mulberry has been an iconic UK brand for decades and it is nothing less than a luxury. You must be ready to let go of some thousands of dollars to acquire one. Now, it is easier to tell if the Mulberry bag is real, all you have to do is to check out all the features discussed. Also, you can take your Mulberry bag to an authenticator, (for example, the Handbag Clinic) where it can be thoroughly assessed by a team of experts.
