We speak with Mark Cross’ Creative Director, Sean Mathews, on the brand’s Italian roots and how they are celebrating their anniversary with a pop-up at Lane Crawford
To celebrate their 175th anniversary this year, luxury leather label Mark Cross is partnering with Lane Crawford for a month-long “World of Mark Cross” experiential pop-up. The concept launches this August at the ifc mall in Hong Kong, as well as at other Lane Crawford locations in Shanghai and Chengdu throughout the summer.
At each pop-up, shoppers can preview Mark Cross' limited-edition 175th anniversary collection, vintage offerings and upcoming seasonal pieces. Local artist Kalo will be present at the Hong Kong pop-up for custom monograms, as well as jewellery trunks in custom colours on offer, making the experience both immersive and unique to each shopper.
We speak with Mark Cross's Creative Director, Sean Mathews, on his thoughts about the brand's legacy, inspirations behind their new limited-edition collection, and the unique relationships they've built in producing with the same Italian factories as they had forty years prior.
2020 marks one decade of the brand’s relaunch, as well as the band’s 175th anniversary. How has Mark Cross changed in this time?
Historically, the brand was founded as a saddle maker and catered to the needs of the time. Eventually the product offering evolved with changes in American’s lifestyles to include items for travel, work and home.
In this spirit, I have designed the collections over the past decade to reflect the brand’s rich history and past, but also embrace the future. Focusing first on building a strong women’s handbag collection, I designed the Grace box bag. The recognition and success of the Grace allowed me to expand and design a wider range of handbags from our core pieces, seasonal handbags, travel collections and small gift and home items.