January 27 through April 30, 2006
Carol & Louis Della Penna Gallery in New Hope

Sponsored by U.S. Trust, Intrigue Fine Apparel for Women, First Federal of Bucks County, and Marriott ExecuStay.

For more than 30 years, a Judith Leiber handbag has stood for the ultimate in craftsmanship and design. It has become an American icon of fashion and style and has evolved into a coveted status object for celebrities, socialites, and collectors. Yet beyond the glamour and celebrity, Judith Leiber handbags also stand as remarkable works of art.

Judith Leiber, Minaudière inspired by Gerson Leiber painting with crystal rhinestones, 1992, H. 4.75 x W.6 x D. 1.75 inches, Collection of the artist.

Organized and circulated by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., "Fashioning Art" celebrated Leiber's extraordinary artistic achievement by showcasing her creative genius and influence on nearly four decades of fashion. The exhibition presented a comprehensive survey of Leiber's career and art, including her first beaded bag, created in 1967, to many more recent designs.

Renowned as the world's foremost designer of fine handbags, Leiber has been melding the realms of art and fashion for more than 30 years. A meticulous craft person and visionary creative mind, Leiber takes her inspiration from all manner of sources—Fabergé egg designs, animal forms, city skylines, vintage textiles, and cubist art to name a few.

Judith Leiber, Tutankhamen-inspired monkey with crystal rhinestones, 1989, H. 5 x 5.75 x D. 3.5 inches, Collection of the artist.

"Judith Leiber's handbags are created with such exquisite workmanship and design that they transcend mere accessory. They become objets d'art," says Stacey Schmidt, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. "Judith has always understood that a fashion accessory can express many things simultaneously — sophistication, cultural wit, reverence, style and humor. Almost single-handedly, she has advanced the artistic possibilities of the handbag."

Leiber designed her first minaudière, or gilded metal handbag, in 1967; this design is still in production today.

Representations of the natural world became her trademark, ranging from animal-shaped bags to minaudières in the shape of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Other favorite motifs refer to noted places, such as her adopted hometown of New York. Leiber's study of Asian imagery and vintage textiles and her passion for the fine arts have also made themselves apparent in her designs over the years.

One of the few remaining luxury products still made by hand, each Judith Leiber handbag takes up two weeks to create by a trained worker and is subjected to rigorous workmanship review.

• Press Release

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