In an age when nobility has no true signature, an expensive designer bag is the most rapid social shorthand for status,
One step up from perfume, the handbag is also the most accessible item an ordinary working woman can afford from a very exclusive house. Status bags are a cheap thrill, comparatively speaking, for those who want business class but are living coach.
The very first bag was probably a fistful of skins tied to a bit of stick, a provisional container for food and flint. From these simple beginnings, the bag has blossomed into every form, color and material imaginable.