Judith Leiber
Encyclopedia
Judith Leiber is a designer of luxury handbag
s.
Peto was the first woman to join the handbag-makers guild in Budapest. A Jew, she escaped the Holocaust of World War II
to the safety of the Swiss
house when her father was able to obtain a Swiss schutzpass, a document that gave the bearer safe passage. This pass is on view at the Holocaust Museum
in Washington DC.
After working as a handbag designer for other companies, Leiber founded her own business in 1963. Sold at exclusive boutiques around the world, her handbags cost several thousand dollars and have become a status symbol for many women including several Presidential First Ladies
. Leiber is most famous for her minaudieres, which are often covered in crystals. Animals are a recurring theme, and often the most expensive purses of the collection with prices on some animal shaped minaudieres exceeding $5000.
A Judith Leiber cupcake minaudiere was featured in the Sex and the City movie.
The Judith Leiber boutiques are exclusive as there are only four in the United States
, located in Las Vegas
(2 locations), Orange County
, and New York City
. A fifth location was located in Atlanta, but closed in 2008 due to leasing issues.
A biography of Leiber and her husband, modernist artist Gergson Leiber, was published in 2010. Entitled No Mere Bagatelles, it was written by Jeffrey Sussman. Mr. Sussman has also written the catalogue copy for numerous exhibitions at the Leiber Museum. Exhibitions for which he has written the catalogues include one for Judith Leiber's handbags, one for an exhibition of antique Chinese porcelains, and one for the print work of the American artist Will Barnet.
in New York City
, and at the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London
. The Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia has had a gallery of her work on display since it opened in 2008. She retired in 1998.
In September 2008, Leiber was rated the most prestigious luxury handbag brand for the second year running by the New York-based Luxury Institute
.
Handbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
s.
Peto was the first woman to join the handbag-makers guild in Budapest. A Jew, she escaped the Holocaust of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
to the safety of the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
house when her father was able to obtain a Swiss schutzpass, a document that gave the bearer safe passage. This pass is on view at the Holocaust Museum
Holocaust museum
The term Holocaust museum may refer to:*Ani Ma'amin Holocaust Museum, Jerusalem*Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education & Tolerance*Florida Holocaust Museum*Holocaust Museum Houston*Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center...
in Washington DC.
After working as a handbag designer for other companies, Leiber founded her own business in 1963. Sold at exclusive boutiques around the world, her handbags cost several thousand dollars and have become a status symbol for many women including several Presidential First Ladies
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
. Leiber is most famous for her minaudieres, which are often covered in crystals. Animals are a recurring theme, and often the most expensive purses of the collection with prices on some animal shaped minaudieres exceeding $5000.
A Judith Leiber cupcake minaudiere was featured in the Sex and the City movie.
The Judith Leiber boutiques are exclusive as there are only four in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
(2 locations), Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. A fifth location was located in Atlanta, but closed in 2008 due to leasing issues.
A biography of Leiber and her husband, modernist artist Gergson Leiber, was published in 2010. Entitled No Mere Bagatelles, it was written by Jeffrey Sussman. Mr. Sussman has also written the catalogue copy for numerous exhibitions at the Leiber Museum. Exhibitions for which he has written the catalogues include one for Judith Leiber's handbags, one for an exhibition of antique Chinese porcelains, and one for the print work of the American artist Will Barnet.
Awards
In 1994, Leiber received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers. Classic examples of her work can be found on permanent display at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, the Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia has had a gallery of her work on display since it opened in 2008. She retired in 1998.
In September 2008, Leiber was rated the most prestigious luxury handbag brand for the second year running by the New York-based Luxury Institute
The Luxury Institute
The Luxury Institute is a New York based ratings and research organization that conducts research on the luxury industry. The company offers luxury brand research, wealth-surveys of high net worth consumers, and custom consulting and speaking engagements. It also publishes nine annual issues of...
.