The Mulberry Made to Last Manifesto

Mulberry is 50. In 1971 our founder Roger Saul began making leather accessories at his kitchen table using offcuts and scraps, bringing to life a brand that has established a unique place in the canon and culture of British style and innovation. We were born into the fevered atmosphere of the early seventies, a decade when artists, designers and musicians emerged as activists. In the year of our birth, soul legend Marvin Gaye sang the prophetic words “What about this overcrowded land? How much more abuse from man can she stand?” on the track ‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’. Half a century later can we say that we listened? Have we built a business that makes things better, a business that is truly made to last?

The reality is that despite a proliferation of industry initiatives – several of which we are a part of – the fashion and textiles sector is still estimated to produce 10% of annual Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions and change is not happening fast enough. We believe it’s time to reimagine our business as regenerative and circular at every stage of our supply chain, from field to wardrobe. To do this we have to be willing to ask ourselves some difficult questions and to respond with honesty and intention, even if we don’t have all the answers.

Can leather ever be sustainable?

According to The World Resources Institute, cattle farming was responsible for 36% of global deforestation between 2001 and 2015, driving species extinction and making a significant contribution to climate change. This statistic is certainly sobering, but we believe the problem is not the cow, it’s the how. On a regenerative and rotational farm, livestock play an essential role in maintaining soil health, and healthy soil actually draws down and stores carbon from the atmosphere. The Rodale Institute, pioneers of research in organic and regenerative agriculture, state that “of all farming practices, pasture-based livestock operations have the most potential to sequester carbon”.

It is abundantly clear that Mulberry’s 50-year association with leather is both our greatest challenge and our greatest opportunity. That’s why we are pioneering a hyper-local, hyper-transparent ‘farm to finished product’ supply chain and working with a network of progressive farmers who are committed to practices that improve soil health and encourage biodiversity.

Our transformative approach to leather sourcing will be reflected in the way we innovate new solutions across our business, from integrating recycled nylon and regenerative organic cotton into our products to continuously assessing and reducing the environmental impact of our packaging and our physical store network.