IMAGE: MULBERRY

This is the Clifton, a new bag from British bag and accessory maker Mulberry. You could say it’s one of the first creations by Johnny Coca, the current creative head who until recently, was the man behind many of Céline’s best-selling bags in recent years. In other words, he would be the best man to revive Mulberry’s fortunes, right?

If you’re asking me now based on Clifton, my reply would be yes, and no. Yes because it’s indeed a new style at Mulberry that would be well-received by those who love their smallish shoulder sling bags (or just use it as a clutch) with the hardware kept to a minimum, which allows the leather to shine. It’s what you could call young, stylish and most definitely forward-looking, and something I believe most women wouldn’t mind carrying. Even the branding is kept minimal, just the name and country of its origin. In other words, Mulberry and England. Nice.

Now for the no bit. The moment you open the front flap you’ll see 3 zipped compartments, which for me is too much like the Trio. Yes, the zips run from end to end, and if you really wanted I guess you could just buy a Trio, instead of the Clifton which is basically a Trio with a front flap. Right?

Still, it’s early days yet, and Mr Coca probably needs a little more time to find himself and grow into the brand. Honestly, take out the Trio reference and the Clifton is pretty decent, with the one in Small (17 cm by 14 cm) priced at GBP595, or around SGD1100 after conversion.

Available in Clay or Black, the Clifton also comes in a larger size and more colours. You just have to head online to Mulberry to have a look. And if you like it, just add it to the cart, since Mulberry ships internationally as well.

Image: Mulberry