Make your own unique and stylish bags, from vintage silk evening purses to funky painted canvas shoppers for the market.

This comprehensive new book celebrates over 550 top quality handbags by leading and unknown designers the world over, dating from 1759 to 2004, with detailed information to describe their outstanding qualities. These carefully selected handbags are arranged by their primary materials and chronologically within each chapter, for easy reference and interesting comparisons. Here fine leather, fabric, metal, beaded, skin, and plastic handbags from all over Europe, England, Canada, The United States, and Asia appear in over 600 beautiful color photographs. Examples appear from the design houses of Adele Handbags, Asprey, Bergdorf Goodman, Bonnie Cashin for Coach, Cartier, Chanel, Coblentz, Collins of Texas, deLillo, Elizabeth Arden, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Halston, Hermes, I. Miller, Joret, Judith Lieber, Keiselstein-Cort, Llewellen, Mandalian, Mark Cross, Marvel, Nettie Rosenstein, Patricia of Miami, Pierre Cardin, Raoul Calabro, Rialto, Roger Van S., Ronay, Rosenfeld, sydney love, Tiffany, Tropic, Tyrolean, Virginia Merrill, Viva, Whiting & Davis Co., Wilardy Original, Zandra Rhodes, and many more. An extensive Glossary, informative Resources section, Bibliography, and Index make this book friendly while instructional, securing an important place in the libraries of fashion historians, vintage clothing buffs, antique dealers, and accessories collectors alike.

Handbag Designer 101 is the bible for handbag designers or women who aspire to make their own bags. Included in the book are instructions for creating the fifteen essential bag styles—clutch, hobo, tote, and more—made simple with easy-to-follow how-to illustrations, suggested difficulty levels, and color photography. Advice from famous bag designers and today’s hottest indie designers accompany each pattern.Also included is the inside scoop on turning your handbag hobby into a successful business. From designing, to making, to marketing, Handbag Designer 101 teaches you everything you need to know.

An exploration of the role of the handbag in the history of culture, fashion, and material production

Fashion.

An essential part of the well dressed woman is her handbag. Here over 300 exquisite color photographs of handbags from the world's top fashion designers are brought together to vie for the attention of collectors, designers, and fashion gurus. See details of construction, designer logos, impeccable stitching, luxurious leathers and fabricated materials as components of high quality and high value luxury handbags in today's marketplace. Louis Vuitton, Judith Lieber, Fendi, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Roberta Di Camerino, Farragamo, Celine, Bottega Veneta, and more are all represented by many examples. Many designs are classics today, having survived competitive runway battles for a generation. Other designs are original, fresh, and challenging the classics for shelf space in boutiques and closets around the world. Read about some of the designers and savor the special handbags they carefully created. The designs are fun, elegant, and inspiring.