Born in Budapest, Judith Leiber’s love affair with handbags started at home when her father would return from business trips with beautiful bags for his wife. Leiber went on to become the first female apprentice and master in the Hungarian handbag guild. She was able to survive World War II in hiding, and met her husband Gerson, an American GI and artist, in Budapest when the city was liberated. After moving to the United States, Leiber worked for several handbag companies before starting her own eponymous line in 1963. Judith retired and sold the business in 1998, having spent 35 years growing a small business into an iconic American brand.
Judith Leiber’s spectacular creations are part of the permanent design collections at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Smithsonian Institute in Washington,
The Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the Los Angeles Museum of Art. In addition, her designs have made more red carpet appearances than any other women’s accessory. Synonymous with Hollywood glamour, Leiber’s handbags have been carried by nearly all first ladies since the Eisenhower administration and adorned the arms of Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker to name a few.
1 Horse Clutch Bag
Judith Leiber Collection
2 Heart ‘n’ Soul Evening Bag
Judith Leiber Collection
3 Tortoise Clutch Bag
Judith Leiber Collection
