Handbags: The Power of the Purse

by Anna Johnson

The Bolide. The Plume. The Birkin--object of lust in Sex in the City . Celebrating the must-have accessory for the fashion conscious woman, Handbags is an obsessive, irresistible visual extravaganza, featuring over 900 full-color photographs of the most luxurious, witty, covetable, talismanic examples of the bagmaker's art and history.

The iconic Hermés Kelly bag, made from first stitch to last by a single craftsperson. Judith Leiber's whimsical minaudiFres, Moschino's smiley-face bag, Elsa Schiaparelli's surrealist "bird cage," and the ne plus ultra of fashionable purses--the Chanel bag, reinvented for a new generation by Karl Lagerfeld. There are novelty bags, evening bags, sculptural bags, and class acts. Practical leather pochettes to carry a life, and elegant little reticules for nothing more than a credit card and a lipstick. Profiles of famous Jamin Puech, Kate Spade, Carlos Falchi, and the poet of utility, Bonnie Cashin, with her visionary "Cashin Carry" bags for Coach. Plus the anonymous Florentine artisans whose specialist leather workshops sprouted up in the 14th century.

A labor of love written by Anna Johnson, author of Three Black Skirts , Handbags features over 900 bags from collections, museums, and designers around the world, most of them photographed in seductive full-color exclusively for the book. The perfectly matched complement to Shoes , Handbags is about fashion, about desire, about secrecy, craftsmanship, art, and imagination as well as about the changing roles of women--everything that's packed into every important bag. Includes timelines, fascinating captions, and the "It" bags--anyone for a Fendi baguette?

Genres: Fashion, Reference, Nonfiction, Sewing

512 pages, Paperback

First published October 21, 2002

Reviews

[Smiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have decided to start collecting vintage handbags. And if I cannot find them I am so determined to start making them. I absolutely adore most of the vintage ones in this book. Even bags from the 1800 and early 1900s I feel like could be very stylish and usable in my every day life. This book is such an excellent reminder about what options exist and I do not need to limit myself to the generic and disposable bags made today.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

You would have to be a purse junkie to give this little book 5 stars. There was a lot of research, and contrary to another reviewer, quite a bit to read about the history of bags, not only pictures.
I enjoyed the examples of early macrame and crochet. I will pass it along to my purse junkie friend.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book with beautiful photos.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is a little fluffy for my taste but I knew that going in. Some wonderful little bags here- I appreciated that they went back centuries.

[jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Handbags: The Power of the Purse is one of the tiniest, yet most complete books on the subject that I’ve ever come across. Its 486 pages are overflowing with more than 900 handbags, ranging from all time periods and of all styles. Every single handbag comes accompanied with high-quality photos, and a bit of informative text with details on the origin, the style, the time period, and the initial designer(s).

This little encyclopaedia shows history, development, icons, style, designers, trends, ornaments – it’s all there, with some fitting quotes scattered throughout. I found it to be unexpectedly thorough on the subject, and it’s sublime in its photographic portrayal of all those lovely handbags, which show the reader all the details clearly and vividly. The text is good enough to make me sit down and want to read it in detail, whereas it's also very suitable for leafing through thanks to its pictures. It’s a delight to read, honestly, and the book is just the right size for taking it along in one of your own handbags!

It’s divided into six main chapters, covering topics such as: (1) classy and elegant bags, (2) evening handbags, (3) chic: form and structure, (4) obsessive ornaments: decorations, (5) American classic: sporty handbags, and finally (6) humorous handbags. It’s this last chapter that I probably enjoy the most, with gorgeous yet funny bags of all ages.

A definite recommendation for every handbag-lover, that doesn’t only provide the reader with lovely pictures of bags, but also with lots of details on their history and background.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who loves handbags (like me), who has a ton of them (like me), but is always looking for one more perfect bag (like me), will love, love, LOVE this little encyclopedia of handbag heaven. From Fendi to Dior, and Dooney & Bourke to Katherine Bauman, and all designers in between, the pages are drool-worthy. The most fun I've had without actually buying a new handbag in a long time!

Handbags: The Power of the Purse is full of beautifully photographed drazzlers, as well as the people who made it all possible... from those who carried them, to those who created them.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous little book with excellent illustrations. It focuses more on the exotic and as such is not a perfect reference, but the pictures are great

[Hilde Helseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

'A Book with Illustrations'

[Diane Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing to read - just pictures of handbags but great handbags.