A Wasted Opportunity

When I first heard that the famed illustrator Julie Verhoeven was collaborating with Mulberry for autumn winter 2007-8 on some bags and t-shirts, I yipped for joy!  To say that I’m a fan of Verhoeven’s work is a bit of an understatement.  Just to illustrate, despite my blatant dislike of all things Louis Vuitton (I think I’ve notched up a fair few posts on the subject in the Rants and Raves section on the brand), when in 2002, Verhoeven designed some colourful pastel fantasy scenes embroidered over LV’s mini monogram bags and purses, I found myself lusting after that particular collection so badly that in my poor first year student state, I put in extra waitressing hours at Arsenal football club just to buy a wee wallet from the collection (which eventually got stolen anyway… doh!).  Gibo, for whom she designed for from 2003-2004 caught my eye when I didn’t even know that Verhoeven was working for them and I always used to trip into the store on Conduit Street (which is sadly no more….) and skim through the clothes with not a chance in hell of affording any of it of course.  So basically any chance to buy Verhoeven in garment/accessory form, I’m pretty much 100% there and obviously in a better position to procure said items. 

When the blurry press day pictures came out on Show Studio, I was skeptical but not without hope as I put it down to the blurry pictures.  So now, a more detailed picture has been released and suffice to say, I’m not impressed.  In fact I’m just a little bit baffled.  The base bag of a quilted chain strap bag a) doesn’t say Mulberry to me and b) looks like a rip-off of the Prada nylon bags or Chanel.  In fact, it actually does look more like a collaboration with Chanel.  The illustration, though lovely in its own right is also not the best I have seen from Verhoeven.  If I’m completely honest and someone has said the same thing on another blog, the bag looks a little…. *deep breath* cheap.  Travesties of all travesties.   

Though I’m not a huge fan of Mulberry classics like the Basywater, the Roxanne etc but I think I would look at them in a different light if they were draped with Verhoeven’s fantasy girls, similar to the walls she decoupaged in The Hospital (a members’ club).  In fact a decoupage effect with various textures stitched haphazardly over Mulberry’s classic sturdy bags doesn’t sound too bad at all.  I know I know, replicating the design concept she did for Louis Vuitton in 2002 for Mulberry is not the way but I don’t think what Mulberry and Verhoeven have come up with is the best solution either.  Damn these high expectations.