The Mulberry Zipped Bayswater

Since Johnny Coca took the reigns as Mulberry's creative director in 2014 it's safe to say that his tenure has been met with mixed reviews.

The new Bayswater in particular has either been met with paroxysms of delight or caustic hatred at Coca's audacity to tamper with such a well loved design.

A quick trawl through the Mulberry thread on the Purse Forum shows that, despite the controversy, Mulberry is not short of its loyal fans.

Now Mulberry has released its latest addition to the Bayswater family - the Zipped Bayswater

I am in two minds about this bag. I love the idea of the zip: a secure way to stow away your belongings is a must have for city dwellers, although the original Bayswater is secure enough. Perhaps it was the addition of Coca's flared gussets to the new Bayswater that has brought about the idea for a zip?

I'm not sure how I feel about the postman's lock addition to the zipped Bayswater. I understand that it sets it apart aesthetically from the classic and new Bayswater models, but the clasp seems a little fussy to me. I also wonder how heavy it is. The original Bayswater is a beautiful bag, but it can become uncomfortably heavy. I am not sure that the addition of a zip and extra wrap-around clasp will help here.

What do you think of the zipped Bayswater? Is it a sign of Mulberry's continuing evolution under Coca, or is it another example of how Mulberry has missed the mark in recent years for long time devotees of the brand?