HOLDING THE BAG : For women who have up to $6,000 to spend and not much to carry, a Judith Leiber sculpted clutch is <i> the</i> must-have acessory.
To the women who treasure them, they’re real gems--evening bags that sparkle and shine like diamonds and often come with a price tag to match.
Beaded velvet pouches, rhinestone-covered sculpted bags in animal and abstract shapes, satin-covered clutches with clasps adorned with faux jewels--such precious purses are the must-have accessories for black-tie affairs.
More fashion than function, these elegant bags have become like fine jewelry; they’re the crowning touch to a glittering ball gown or beaded cocktail dress.
Judith Leiber has been compared to famed Russian jeweler Faberge for her handbag designs. Her coveted “minaudieres” are like small sculptures encrusted with thousands of tiny rhinestones, and they come in all kinds of whimsical shapes such as cats, monkeys and hearts.
Leiber bags are the choice of opera stars, presidents’ wives and celebrities. They have been carried to inaugurations and public affairs by Mamie Eisenhower, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton. The purses have been displayed at the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In Orange County, those lucky enough to afford the bags (they cost up to $6,000) can be seen at galas with their purses dangling conspicuously from their arms. When it comes time to sit for dinner, women typically place the bags prominently at the center of the table, like a piece of crystal.
“Our customers collect them like artwork. A lot of socialites display them in their homes,” says Billur Wallerich, spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus in Fashion Island Newport Beach, which carries Leiber bags. “They are the ultimate accessory to add to any outfit.”
Leiber studied her craft in Budapest, where she was born. She joined the Hungarian Handbag Guild as an apprentice at age 18 and achieved the rank of master after learning each step of making a handbag, from tanning the skins to engineering the clasps.
Now in her 70s, Leiber still participates in every aspect of her handbag production. On a recent morning she was in her factory in New York City overseeing the last of her holiday shipments. A handbag designer in the United States for 30 years, she began producing her trademark rhinestone-studded metal purses in 1967.
“They hadn’t existed before,” she says. “They were something I felt ladies would love.”
They did. Women began coveting and collecting the bags.
“I have a few customers who have two or three hundred bags,” Leiber says. “When you see a lady carrying a little dog bag or a little cat bag or an egg, it makes you happy.”
Among Leiber’s latest styles: a mailbox-shaped purse with a crazy-quilt pattern in multicolored rhinestones ($1,535), a gold monkey covered with clear rhinestones ($3,035), a black mask ($1,635) and a black-and-white spotted bulldog ($2,675), all available at Neiman Marcus.
She also creates soft bags with jeweled frames. One satin bag has an Art Deco-inspired clasp with marcasite gems ($1,000); another comes in black alligator skin with a bar clasp set with semi-precious stones ($3,725).
Leiber finds ideas for her creations everywhere. She’s been inspired by museum exhibits, Japanese bronzes, “a knot on a hairdo or a button on a jacket,” she says.
“I have a good sense of humor. I think everything we do should have whimsy in it.”
When a friend gave her a sculpture of a sleeping cat to put by the fireplace, it led to one of her more famous designs.
“We must have made 1,000 cat bags by now. Of course, none of them are the same--some have stripes, some have flowers, some are solid.”
More Judith Leiber bags can be found at Saks Fifth Avenue in South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, including an oblong-shaped purse inspired by Tiffany stained glass ($2,780), an egg-shaped bag with rhinestones set in a black, gold and red geometric design ($3,745) and a heart-shaped bag with a rhinestone mosaic of the queen of hearts ($2,010).
In addition to the Leiber minaudieres, women are toting soft vintage-looking bags to galas, according to Jessica Morrell, handbags and accessories manager for Saks.
“Everything has a definite vintage flair. It’s part of the romantic look--the long vests, the cameos, the ruffled blouses brought them in,” Morrell says.
Small drawstring bags and framed clutches that open like a coin purse with jeweled top handles are strong for night and come in every price point. Saks has pouches of crinkled gold or silver lame or black or navy satin for $40.
Among the romantic styles at Neiman Marcus: envelope bags of black velvet with jet beads, tassels and a braided detail on the front ($85) and a gold braided drawstring purse ($270).
Pillbox purses, beaded black velvet pouches, simple satin envelopes and hard metal handbags range from $20 to $70 at the Icing in Brea Mall.
“There are hard pieces as well as soft,” says Neta Foges, district manager for the Icing. “And they come in all kinds of unusual shapes.”
Styles at the Icing include a gold or silver metal hard bags in funky abstract shapes with rhinestone details ($50 to $72) and a crinkled pleated envelope style in gold or silver lame or black satin ($20).
One thing these varied evening bags have in common: their size. Most bags are so tiny, a woman can carry only the barest of necessities. In Morrell’s opinion, that comes down to just two crucial items:
“Lipstick and a credit card,” she says.
