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Even as it embarks on an ambitious worldwide retail push, the British leather-goods label Mulberry remains committed to its U.K. identity, handcrafting a large bulk of its products at home and ceasing all Asian production. In this second installment of a series on fashion brands bucking globalization trends in the wake of Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza disaster, Amy Verner profiles a company with its roots firmly planted in English soil – literally

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On the factory floor of the Rookery, Mulberry’s longtime manufacturing base, bags are hand-assembled by teams of 15, right down to the stitching securing the label’s signature disc hardwareJAKE EASTHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

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A 100-year-old mulberry tree on the grounds of Mulbery’s Rookery complex (right) provides a symbolic foundation for the proudly English leather-goods label, which uses the icon in its brandingJAKE EASTHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

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More than four decades after it was established by its mother-and-son founders, the brand is deliberately touting its made-in-England ethosJAKE EASTHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

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An English institution, Mulberry recently began opening numerous stores worldwide, including two in Toronto.JAKE EASTHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

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On the factory floor of the RookeryJAKE EASTHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

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On the factory floor of the RookeryJAKE EASTHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

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More than four decades after it was established by its mother-and-son founders, the brand is deliberately touting its made-in-England ethos

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Mulberry’s Willow bag in turquoise calf, from $2,600 through www.mulberry.com, offer a nod to the company’s new Somerset factory, known as the Willows.

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Mulberry’s Willow bag in oxblood silky classic calf, from $2,600 through www.mulberry.com, offer a nod to the company’s new Somerset factory, known as the Willows.

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Mulberry’s Willow bag in midnight blue calf, from $2,600 through www.mulberry.com, offer a nod to the company’s new Somerset factory, known as the Willows.

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Mulberry’s Willow bag in bright pink calf, from $2,600 through www.mulberry.com, offer a nod to the company’s new Somerset factory, known as the Willows.

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