As Mulberry reach the top of their game - this week reported to be the most profitable luxury fashion label in the world - one might forgive the British firm for sitting back to bask in the glory a while.
But it's clear they have no plans to rest on their laurels. Hot on the heels of the Alexa - the satchel credited with helping the Somerset firm to hit the £1billion mark - comes the Carter, a neat new style proving to be a hit with Mulberry's high profile fans.Already spotted swinging merrily on the arms of actresses Kirsten Dunst, Emma Watson (who must already have a designer handbag collection to rival women three times her age) and Kate Bosworth, the Carter looks set to be the next big hit for the brand.
It girls: Kate Bosworth proudly wears her crocodile-embossed Carter in 'birds nest' coloured Nappa leather, whileEmma Watson sports the midnight Carter in snake-embossed leather, both on sale for £995
Demonstrating that versatility that makes Mulberry bags so desirable - from louche to luxe in a monet - model Lily Donaldson paired her £650 fox brown suede Mini Camera Carter with wellie boots to brave the mud at the Glastonbury music festival in June, and in doing so took festival chic to a whole new level.
The softly structured style is available in three sizes and various finishes and colourways, all featuring an updated take on the label's trademark hardware.
This is the first time since the launch of the Alexa that one particular Mulberry bag has received such attention.
The success of the label's most recent must-have design - named after television presenter Alexa Chung - proved so great that the value of Mulberry soared by more than five times in 12 months.
Got Carter: Kirsten Dunst added the midnight Carter, £995 to her burgeoning Mulberry bag collection, while brave Lily Donaldson took her fox brown Mini Carter camera bag to the muddy Glastonbury music festival
It bag: The Mulberry Carter is fast becoming the new star among high profile fans of the British brand
The rise of the Alexa - the £785 bag sold out across the globe - helped cement Mulberry’s already growing reputation as a fashion leader – and turned it into a the stock market star it is today.
In the past year, the West Country firm’s value rocketed from £166million to £1.03billion and its stock rose 527 per cent, making Mulberry the best performer among any retailer of luxury apparel, according to financial experts Bloomberg.
So could the Carter give Mulberry's profits yet another boost?
Judging by the success of its predecessors, the answer is likely to be a resounding yes.
The Mulberry Carter range starts at £650 for the Mini Carter Camera bag, going up to £995 for the double-handled crocodile-embossed nappa leather bag.