Remembering Judith Leiber: Her Life, Iconic Creations, And Contribution To Fashion

Notorious for her handcrafted, crystal clutches, and eye-glistening minauderies, bag designer Judith Leiber passed away at the age of 97. The accessories designer, whose work was favoured by multiple first ladies, was known for her tongue-in-cheek approach to bag design.

Leiber’s beaded designs, referred to as Fabergés by her niche following, came in the shape of foods, animals, in addition to an array of a-typical handbag designs. Hillary Clinton and Barbara Bush were amongst the first ladies enamoured by the Budapest-born artist, whose pricing was no stranger to the four and five-figure range.

In the year 2017, Leiber designed a much buzzed-about limited edition crystal-embedded clutch shaped like a rolled up bundle of dollar bills, in collaboration with fashion designer Alexander Wang. Within the context of pop culture, the coveted bags were notoriously worn by the likes of Björk and Pat Buckley, in addition to an appearance in the first Sex and the City movie. The bag designer, whose works required weeks of craftsmanship, was preceded in her death by her husband of 72 years, Gerson Leiber. Leiber met her husband, a former sergeant turned abstract painter, in Hungary during World War II.

Throughout her career, Leiber was often asked if she ever carried handbags other than her own. She had a standard reply. “I either carry my own or a paper bag,” she would say, “and I won’t carry a paper bag, so you figure it out.”