BAGS OF STYLE
Coinciding with the V&A’s exhibition of designer handbags, we examine this collecting phenomenon
Frivolous and functional, private and public, symbol of status, political billboard, environmental statement, a weapon (in the hands of Mrs Thatcher), a carry cot (in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest): the handbag is a fashion accessory quite unlike any other. Combining brilliant cra !smanship, luxurious materials, advanced technology, and eye- catching design, collectors include the Queen, said to own 200 Launer London bags. Other devotees include Diana, Princess of Wales, whose penchant was for Lady Dior quilted bags, Jackie Onassis, who was frequently seen swinging the Gucci saddlebag on her arm, as well as fashionistas and pop icons Victoria Beckham, Rita Ora, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga.
For an item with such an illustrious following, and with around 2,000 bags in their collection, it’s surprising to learn the V& A hasn’t focused on bags before. ‘ Now’s the perfect moment, giving us a chance to look from a fresh perspective – to show the duality of the bag: how it’s shaped by function, but has symbolic meaning,’ says Lucia Savi, curator of the
‘ Bags: Inside Out’ exhibition.
‘ The term ‘ handbag’ was "rst used in the mid 19th century to describe carry- on luggage that men used to travel, usually by train,’ says Lucia. The earliest were made of leather with lockable compartments and metal frames for strength and security. Women’s bags followed the same shapes, ‘ but on a miniaturised scale, these were made professionally and sold through shops, unlike earlier bags women used’.
Prior to this pivotal moment, bags used by women were generally made in the home or by dressmakers using textiles. Until the early 19th century, women mostly wore detachable tie- on pockets, hidden in the folds of their skirts to hold personal items such as watches, snu # boxes, vinaigre$es, money and food. Reticules, popular from the 1800s, raised eyebrows to begin with ‘ because, unlike pockets, they were on show, very decorative, and sometimes daring in shape’, says Lucia of the imaginative hexagonal, lozenge, vase and heart-shaped bags, o!en adorned with eye- catching painted, beaded and lace decoration.
Throughout history handbags have inspired creativity. ‘ They’ve always been designed in surreal ways, and used to send messages,’ says Lucia. The exhibition features a conker-shaped bag by Emily Jo Gibbs dating from 1996 and made from silk with copper wire spikes, and one by Stella McCartney made from marine plastic waste, to raise awareness of ocean pollution. ‘ But we start with a frog-shaped purse from the 1600s.’
Celebrity association is a key part of the handbag’s
popularity. ‘ It really explodes in the 1990s when Sarah Jessica Parker, playing Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, carried a Fendi Bague#e. The bag became so sought a !er that there were waiting lists for them,’ says Lucia. ‘ But if you look back it started with the Hermès Kelly bag, which by association with Grace Kelly became one of the most iconic bags of all time.’ (See the box below for more on this).
‘ Demand translates to value when it comes to the collector’s market,’ explains Meg Randell of Bonhams. Materials, design and condition all play a part in value, but social media in $uencers also have a crucial role – ‘if Kim Kardashian carries a certain type of bag, prices rise at auction’. Unlike other collecting areas where a patina of age adds value, handbag buyers at the top end prefer examples that look as though they’ve come straight from the store, so newer designs typically fetch higher prices than earlier vintage examples. ‘ It’s interesting that women
who might spend thousands on a Hermès bag o!en keep the plastic seals on the hardware, even if they bought it to wear, so it will look new should they wish to sell,’ says Meg.
Sustainability coupled with increasing female empowerment also underpin the recent rise in popularity of bags on the secondary market, explains Rachel Ko"sky of Christie’s. ‘ They are one of the few female- centered collecting categories: something women buy themselves to mark special occasions, new jobs or new babies.’
At the pinnacle of the market Hermès dominates. A rare Himalaya Birkin bag sold for an astonishing £ 293,000 in 2017, and prices for other designs start at around £ 4,000. Chanel is next in the rankings, with prices mostly ranging from £700 to £ 20,000. Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vui#on and Bo#ega Veneta are among other front-running names, achieving prices from £500 to £ 10,000.
At less dizzying levels there are also passionate collectors. Jenny Bura#a started collecting bags from the age of
11 and has over 300 in her collection. ‘ My favourites are Enid Collins bags – typical of American decadence of the Sixties, with lots of embellishments and beads and pearls and trim. I also love miser purses dating from the 1820s. They look a bit like a sock with a couple of rings and are made of kni!ed fabric in the most incredible designs.’ The bags Jenny buys cost from a few pounds up to £300. Collector Deborah Sugg Ryan, meanwhile, buys thematically. As consultant on the BBC series A House Through Time, she is drawn to novelty houseshaped bags. ‘ My favourite is a 1960s Jacqueline Andrews wooden house bag that I bought at a car boot fair for £50 – a bargain. I also have some "sh-shaped bags that I display in my bathroom.’
Whatever type of bag you prefer, experts and collectors agree that this is a joyous collecting area. ‘A handbag doesn’t care if you are a size six or 16. You carry it and it makes you feel good,’ says Meg Randell.
What would Meg’s dream bag be? ‘A Hermès Kelly in emerald green with gold hardware, please!’