Johnny Coca is Leaving Mulberry After Five Years

British brand Mulberry announced this morning that its creative director Johnny Coca will be leaving the brand this month.

Coca has held the position at Mulberry for the past five years, and was instrumental in expanding the brand’s global presence as well as its positioning. During his time at the helm, he introduced several key new handbag styles and also re-introduced men’s accessories and jewellery to the label’s line-up.

Of his time at the house, Coca said, “I have loved my time with this iconic British heritage brand and would like to thank the amazing teams and everyone who has supported me during my time here. I am proud of everything we have achieved and the collections we have created. The passion and dedication I have seen at Mulberry has been incredible and I am honoured to have been part of the brand’s history.”

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the brand. Thierry Andretta, CEO of Mulberry, said that, despite the loss of Coca (whom he wished “every success in his next venture” and thanked for his impact on the house), the brand will forge ahead whilst remaining “committed to developing responsible, innovative products, underpinned by a strong in-house creative team and our international direct-to-consumer omni-channel business model.”

The brand confirmed in a statement that the Spring/Summer 2021 collection would be Coca’s last, and that the hunt for his successor is now underway. There are no known frontrunners for the position at this time. Watch this space.