As the keepers of our daily lives’ equipment, handbags have been strongly influenced by technological and societal changes, such as the development of currency, jewellry, transportation, and cosmetics, as well as the role of women in society.
Embracing its paradoxical role as both signifier and concealer, the handbag gestures toward a myriad of tantalising psychological interpretations. It has been a chameleon object: Ancient, symbolic and indispensable, expressing the needs and tastes of both, its wearer and its time.
It is said that you can tell a lot about a woman simply from observing her choices of shoes and handbag. Whilst heels are often more of an internal statement of how a woman wishes to feel, the designer bag is an extroverted shout out on how a woman wants to be perceived by others. Today a woman’s handbag and the manner in which she carries it, is like a modern coat of arms, displayed as she marches into a battle, telling everyone around her three things: Where she comes from, where she sees herself currently, and where she is going.
Take a look at our short feature film above as we take through the history and evolution of the designer handbag.
Edited by Bianca Gerlach
Film by Isabelle Crouch
