Like Louis Vuitton, Prada of Milan began as a manufacturer of trunks, but from its inception, it also produced women's handbags. Though its first purses were leather, in 1985 Prada made its mark in the world of handbags with its minimalist, black pocono nylon bag designed by Miuccia Prada, the granddaughter of one of the firm's two founders. Miuccia's new bag had a handle, so it could be carried, but most people (men and women alike) wore it as a backpack.
Interviews & Articles
Lucite in the Sky with Diamonds

Of all the fashion accessories of the 1950s—Ray-Ban sunglasses, Pucci scarves, Eisenberg cocktail rings—none were more dazzling th… [more]
Purse Perfection: Judith Leiber on Faberge, Rhinestones, and Her Favorite First Ladies

When I was a girl, my mother had a lot of wonderful handbags. My dad traveled often in Western Europe. Every time he came home he … [more]
Abigail Rutherford on the History of Vintage Handbags and the Rise of Women's Rights

Even as a young girl, I was interested in the historical aspect of handbags. I probably started collecting in high school when I b… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Bag Lady University

Bag Lady University is the place to learn about handbag makers from Adrian's, which made Bakelite bags, to Whiting … [read review or visit site]
Vintage Guru Reveals Her Glamour Secrets
The Killer Mobile Device for Victorian Women
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
The Beautiful Chaos of Improvisational Quilts
Our Dad, the Water Witch of Wyoming
This 1959 Goggomobil Is Insanely Cute and Gets 55 MPG. Why Can’t Detroit Do That?
California Cool: How the Wetsuit Became the Surfer's Second Skin
The Unfiltered History of Rolling Papers, Plus Tommy Chong's Big Fat Jamaican Vacation
World's Smallest Museum Finds the Wonder in Everyday Objects
Fightin’ Femmes: Unmasking Female Superheroes with Author Mike Madrid

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