Grayson Perry collaborates on new Mulberry Amberley bag

Grayson Perry has his fingers in many pies at the moment - there's his current Channel 4 television series, Divided Britain, in which he investigates Brexit. Then there's his free Serpentine Gallery exhibition, The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever!, opening this week.

Now, Mulberry have revealed that they will be the principle sponsors of this exhibition. As part of the partnership, Grayson Perry has collaborated on two new limited edition versions of their classic Amberley bag. It's not just pies that Perry has his fingers in, it's purses, too.

"I do love a handbag. Handbags are sculptures; we sit them on the table and feast our eyes and we cannot resist touching them. Can't wait to plunge my hand into my new Mulberry," says Perry.

Mulberry's Amberley bag is a new design revealed as part of the AW17 collection. Named after a street in London, it epitomises creative director Johnny Coca's vision for Mulberry. The bag is rooted in British heritage, down to its equestrian details and a nostalgic satchel shape.


Grayson Perry and Johnny Coca at The Serpentine

But of course, Perry's versions comes with a bit of a twist: the two colourways are eye-wateringly bright. For the first, the original Amberley croc-effect is given a hologram finish in green and turquoise. Inside, the bag is lined with candy-pink suede. The second is smooth calf leather in vivid lemon yellow (above).

If anyone can pull them off, it's Perry. And sadly, we won't have a chance to try for ourselves - the bags were bespoke.

Visit the Serpentine Gallery from 8 June for Grayson Perry's exhibition.