The Exhibition of Evening Bags and Purses at the Tassenmuseum Hendrikje (Hendrikje Museum of bags and purses)

The exhibition “It‘s all glamour and glitter” gives a dazzling display of evening bags and purses from the past hundred years. This exhibition is open at Tassenmuseum Hendrikje, from 22 November 2008 through 1 March 2009.

The evening bag and purse are back on the fashion scene again. The window displays in New York, London and Paris shops show dazzling evening bags and purses. What draws attention are the many facets from the past which are visible in current evening bags and purses. Beads, costume jewellery and sequins are once again providing glamour and glitter and the “clutch” is also completely back in fashion.

Exclusive evening bags and purses.
At the start of the twentieth century women had handbags for every occasion: a city or visiting bag for afternoons, and an opera or evening bag for evenings. Day-time handbags were often made from leather, while shiny silk and brocade was evident in evening bags and purses. The bags were boldly decorated with embroidery, beads, and sequins of colourful, sparkling stones of glass, crystal, marcasite or costume jewellery.
Exclusive evening bags and purses from Cartier, Valentino, Judith Leiber, Christian Lacroix, Gucci, Fendi, Maison de Bonneterie, Timmy Woods and Bottega Veneta can be viewed at the exhibition.

The development of the evening bag.
The development of the evening bag is strongly influenced by the fashion scene and changing habits. At the start of the 20th century significant elements that an evening bag contained were opera glasses, dance cards and fans. In the twenties, influenced by the feminist movement and the enormous popularity of film stars, the use of cosmetics increased dramatically. The need for special cosmetic bags developed from this: the vanity case which has various compartments. Vanity cases made of synthetic materials, decorated with costume jewellery and glass stones, were extremely glamorous.

The Paris jeweller, Van Cleef & Arpels, designed the minaudière in the thirties: a small, mostly rectangular metal bag with various compartments for cosmetics and cigarettes. Later on, minaudières appeared on the market in the most bizarre shapes. The contemporary American designer, Judith Leiber, continues this tradition with her modern minaudières. The individual shapes, entirely decorated with Swarovski stones, are striking. The exhibition also displays “Socks”; a minaudière in the shape of, and named after, Hillary Clinton’s cat.

Since the fifties and sixties, evening bags and purses with exceptional shapes have became popular: for example, a bag from Christian Lacroix in the shape of half a lemon; a bag in the shape of a fan from the famous Lesage studio (where well-known fashion designers/brands have their clothing embroidered); a bag from Kathrine Baumann in the shape of a Coca Cola can, entirely decorated in crystals, and a bag in the shape of a house from the English designer Lulu Guinness.

The latest trend: the clutch
A model from the past, the clutch, also called the pochette, has recently become popular as an evening purse. An “oversized” clutch can also be used during the day. Besides the handbag, this bag was the most popular bag in the twenties and thirties during the past century. Around the Second World War the clutch made way for the practical shoulder bag. Due to the graceful fashion of the New Look in 1947, this bag came back into fashion in the fifties.

Evening bags and purses from Sex and the City
A real eye catcher in the exhibition is the cupcake, a little handbag in the shape of a cupcake, from Judith Leiber. Since the model appeared in the film, Sex and the City, this handbag has become a “must have” for every bag and purse enthusiast. Tassenmuseum Hendrikje has recently included this exceptional handbag in the collection. A handbag from the American designer Timmy Woods can also be viewed in the exhibition; his attention-grabbing handbags also appear in the film.

Address and opening hours
Tassenmuseum Hendrikje (Hendrikje Museum of Bags and purses)
Herengracht 573
1017 CD Amsterdam
Tel: 020-5246452
Email: info@tassenmuseum.nl
The museum is open daily from 10.00am - 5.00pm.
The museum is closed on 1 Jan, 30 April and 25 December.