The Handbag Book

Admire the world's most stunning handbags, meticulously crafted by ingenious, inventive, and forward-thinking designers. These are not your grandma's pocketbooks! Clare Anthony takes you on a tour of the most innovative handbags on the market today. The Handbag Book brings together a fantastic array of beautiful bags, each designed with the imagination of an artist and constructed with the technical brilliance of an engineer. Ever since the reticule came into style after the French Revolution, handbags have taken on a life of their own. In The Handbag Book,expert fashion writer Clare Anthonycelebrates that rich and inventive life through the works of brilliant designers, both those from major labels and those who are new and independent. Whether you're a woman of leisure who wants a tiny clutch to carry a lipstick, comb, and mirror, or a working woman who needs a satchel to hold your cell phone, e-reader, laptop, water bottle, makeup, lunch, and whatever else you may need throughout the course of a long day, you're sure to be carried away by the variety of bags presented in this lavishly illustrated book.
Each featured handbag-the shapes and inspirations for many of which are truly extraordinary-is accompanied by a description explaining the designer's work. From Judith Leiber's sculpted, crystal-studded metal minaudiere to James Piatt's "Peacekeeper" handbag with a knuckleduster handle ...from Lulu Guinness's red snakeskin "Lips" clutch to Hermes's "Birkin" bag ...from Kathleen Dustin's exquisite artichoke wrist purse to Kate Spade's wicker armadillo bag ...The Handbag Book offers something for women everywhere.