Handbags: A Collector’s Guide

Handbags are popular and affordable, both as collectors’ items and as the latest in chic fashion accessories, and this Miller’s guide provides an invaluable introduction to the subject. Starting with the 1880s, it looks at the changing face of the handbag over the years, and explores how different styles, shapes, fabrics, and decoration have developed along with advances in technology and manufacturing—from Art Nouveau-style beaded evening bags to the perspex geometry of the Art Deco and Cubist designs of the mid-1930s. The 1940s and 1950s saw the rise of Hermés and the ubiquitous “Kelly” bag. The hard plastic “Lucite” handbag was a by-product of World War II plastics technology, capturing the whimsical spirit of 1950’s America. Paco Rabanne’s 1960s aluminum and chainlinked bags are still highly sought after, together with familiar names such as Pucci and Jean Muir. A look at more recent designers such as Nathalie Hambro and Lulu Guinness ensures that collectors are brought right up to date, while “Fact Files” highlight the different styles and designs, reveal what to look for and what to avoid, and discuss identifying characteristics of major designers and manufacturers. Every item has a price range and a color illustration.