The ICONIC Mulberry Alexa handbag.

I have slowly been unpacking my collection of Mulberry handbags from storage so I want to share with you some of my faves and chat about why I love them! The Mulberry Alexa is one of the most recognisable British handbags and a true Mulberry icon. So much so it has been re-launched recently with a bang in a huge range of styles and colours.

HISTORY OF THE MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAG.

The Mulberry Alexa bag was named and created for Alexa Chung. Model, Fashion muse, TV personality and a street style icon. It was launched in 2010 and was THE *IT* bag for a good few years. It launched with a long waiting list and was seen on the arms of Alexa Chung (obvs), Olivia Palermo, Sarah Jessica Parker, Blake Lively and myself to name a few.

Mulberry wanted to create a bag that combined British heritage with Chung’s timeless cool-girl style. The result was the now-iconic Alexa bag: a slouchy satchel perfect for everyday use. The Alexa bag was discontinued in 2016 and then re-launched in 2021 , Mulberry’s 50th Anniversary year with lots of new colourways, sizes and materials.

MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAGS (IN 2022).

The iconic Mulberry Alexa bag is back baby! 

Currently they do x3 sizes of the Mulberry Alexa handbag. I’ll give you all the details and sizes below. They do a few variants on the leather and material too, particularly on the seasonal limited edition bags this changes. For the most part they are now heavy grain bovine leather. This will become softer over time as it wears in, often making it more beautiful!

The style of the Mulberry Alexa handbag is a slouchy, effortlessly chic satchel. Key features of the design is a braided top handle, double strap closure and an adjustable leather strap to wear on the shoulder or across the body.

Mini Alexa (from £995)

Alexa (from £1250)

• Postman’s Lock closure
• Handcrafted braided top handle
• Adjustable leather shoulder strap for crossbody wear
• One main compartment
• Internal slip pocket
• Soft gold component finish
• Unlined

Height 23cm

Width 33cm

Depth 17cm

Shoulder Strap Length 97-113cm

Handle Drop 5cm

 

Oversized Alexa (from £1450)

MULBERRY OVERSIZED ALEXA REVIEW.

I have both the Mulberry Alexa and the Mulberry Alexa Oversized handbag. Today I am reviewing the OVERSIZED Alexa as this is probably my most-used and loved! I purchased this around Christmas 2012 and I paid around £900 for it (!). I purchased it in Jersey so it’s VAT free , plus this was when it first launched! The prices have gone up wild amounts since then. 

I chose the oxblood shade as most of my other mulberry handbags are either oak brown or black and I wanted to go for something a little different for my Mulberry Oversized Alexa. The Mulberry oxblood shade is still very wearable and I really love this colour as it’s different to any other handbag I own and it works with my clothing colour palette. It’s leaning towards a more autumn-winter bag for me. They currently don’t do this shade in the Alexa bags I have seen but it is quite a common colour across Mulberry handbags in general.

I’ve had this bag now for 12 years. It’s one I don’t use as much as my beloved Mulberry Antony bag (click HERE to see my review!) but it’s definitely one I dig up a lot and because of the size and look….it’s perfect for day trips / casual wear / travelling to London / going to work from a cafe when I need to take my laptop for meetings. It’s a good ‘work’ bag. I find it too big for nights out etc although the smaller Mulberry Alexa versions are definitely a good evening bag.

My Mulberry Alexa oversized handbag is made from buffalo leather, something that they have changed in the re-launch of the Alexa bags, I think the leather is slightly hardier on the newer Alexa bags. The buffalo leather is REALLY soft, so it makes for a very slouchy bag. Combined with this and the size of the bag, I’ve found it’s not great for overloading it with heavy items – a laptop, notepad etc is great, but if you wanted books etc and hardier things within they don’t feel very protected because of how soft the leather it. I hope that makes sense?!

The best way I have found to wear it is cross-body as you just get a little more support and the shape looks a little better I think. you can also adjust the strap to make it longer or shorter depending on your height and wearing preference. I mean you could also wear this like a suitcase satchel and hold onto it via the top handle if you wish : a very posh and stylish briefcase!

It’s been worn very well worn over the years and as with all Mulberry handbags, it is incredible quality so has lasted well and retained it’s shape well. The lock closure has some scratches, and some of the stitching has come away on the top handle and that’s about it. not bad for 12 years! PS I’m also TERRIBLE at keeping my designer bags in their dustbags and when I wear it, it’s being WORN and enjoyed ya know!

I have zero regrets about purchasing this bag, and honestly it’s one of my absolute favourite designer handbags as it’s quite a nice casual one and that’s kind of me all-over. It’s one I get so much use out of and I will 100% be buying another Mulberry Alexa handbag….at some point! The colours they have in at the moment are dreamy.

WHEN WAS THE MULBERRY ALEXA DISCONTINUED AND WHY?!

It was launched in 2010 and discontinued in 2016. It came back in 2021. I think there were a few reasons it went (and came back !) but it could be due to the lift in prices that Mulberry sprang on customers, the drop in sales of the Alexa and various other reasons.

Emma Hill was the designer behind the iconic mulberry Alexa bag. She left soon after it was discointuned. This was also around the same time as Mulberry handbags sky-rocketed up by around 30-40% – seemingly overnight! I remember it well because I have purchased Mulberry handbags for so many years as they were such incredible quality but not tooooo eye-waveringly epxepnsice. All of a sudden they were. This was also around the time I think Mulberry had a pretty big slump….I think the profits slumped and they lost a lot of avid buyers and fans, including myself. 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW MULBERRY ALEXA HANDBAGS?

The new collection of Mulberry Alexa bags stays true to much of its original design. The relaxed satchel silhouette we know and love remains the same and is available in three sizes (mini, regular, and oversized), all featuring signature details like the postman’s lock fastening and braided top handle. They’re available in classic black, chalk, and chestnut, as well as vibrant hues such as neon pink and yellow. 

A standout change comes in the form of more considered, sustainable design and Mulberry’s commitment to ‘responsible innovation.’ The the entire range is made with leather from gold-standard, environmentally accredited tanneries, and crafted at Mulberry’s carbon-neutral UK factories. 

BUYING A MULBERRY ALEXA SECOND-HAND.

I have a few posts (READ HERE!) on ways to snag a good deal on a second-hand Mulberry handbag. In short, I think the best places would be Vestiaire Collective and of course Mulberry Preloved, which is Mulberry’s very own system of buying and selling your bags on their website. You can click below to shop these and have a look at Mulberry Preloved! They have some absolute corkers on there and some really unique and sort-after older style Mulberry handbags.

If you are going to buy from second-hand market places such as E-bay, De-pop etc this can be a little riskier : you may want to read my post about How to Spot a Real VS Fake Mulberry handbag which will give you some great tips on authenticating a Mulberry handbag. You don’t want to be caught out on this!

So I hope you found my post on the Mulberry Alexa Oversized handbag helpful , particularly if you are looking to buy one either new or second-hand. As always please pop any questions below if I haven’t covered anything!

I will be reviewing and showing you my Mulberry Alexa very soon too. This is one I have started wearing a little more this year so keep your eyes peeled for that very soon!

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