Out & About November 2017

Handbag a bargain While Lady Bracknell’s exclamation

T he word “handbag” came about in the mid-19th century at the time when more people started to travel by train instead of horse and carriage and the term was used to describe their hand-held luggage bags. Many of today’s well-known handbag makers started off as luggage makers – in contrast, purses that were previously used were made by dressmakers – and it is classic brands such as Hermès, Chanel and Louis Vuitton that are always popular at auction. Hermes was founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, a harness and saddle maker, Hermès bags such as Kelly and Birkin bags are highly sought after. The Kelly bag was named after Grace Kelly, who was seen carrying the original leather ‘Sac à dépêche’ to hide her pregnancy in 1956 – these photos were seen worldwide and that classic shape lead to the bag being known as the Kelly. Birkin bags were inspired by English actress and singer Jane Birkin, who, following a chance encounter with the Hermès CEO on a plane in the 80s, suggested the design for a weekend bag, which paved the way for the popular ‘Birkin’ bag. Birkins can be made of ostrich, calf leather, goat leather and even lizard and each takes 48 hours to hand-stitch. The most expensive ever sold at auction is a Himalayan crocodile Hermès Birkin with 245 diamonds, which sold for a record £208,000 to an anonymous phone bidder at Christie’s in Hong Kong. The previous record for the most expensive handbag was £144,000 for a gold and diamond piece once owned by Elizabeth Taylor, which went under the hammer in 2011. It was Louis Vuitton’s innovative trunk design that led to him becoming the personal box manufacturer and packer to Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Steadily his signature trunks became highly coveted among the aristocracy. Handbags signify power, status, and beauty and they express (and carry) the needs and tastes of both the wearer and the time. Handbag design has been strongly influenced by changes in society and technology as well as the role of women. Chanel introduced a handbag suspended from thin straps in 1929, as an alternative to the clutch – freeing up the hands of a busy woman- about-town. The classic 2.55 bag, named after the date of its creation (February 1955) remains the most popular bag today, both vintage and new.

‘A handbag?’ may be somewhat unusual – babies are not generally found in handbags – THOMAS PLANT delves into a woman’s must-have accessory and says vintage designer bags are all the rage The modern Cartier brown leather handbag, right, has chromed panther head ‘C’ clasp, with Cartier protective bag, purchased by the vendor in 2005. It is in very good condition Estimate: £500 to £800 It will be sold at SAS on February 13, 2018 – hint, the day before Valentine’s

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