The Simone Handbag Museum in Seoul, South Korea, is a museum dedicated to handbags. [1]
The museum opened on 19 July 2012 in Seoul's Gangnam District. The collection was established by Kenny Park, founder and CEO of Simone Handbags, and was assembled and curated by Judith Clark, Professor of Fashion and Museology at the London College of Fashion. [1] The collection was assembled at a cost of £1 million. [2]
300 bags are on display at the museum, dating from 1550 to the present day. [2] The museum is divided into two halves, Twentieth Century and Contemporary, and Historic (1500–1900). [1] Most of the handbags are European in origin, with some contemporary bags from the United States. Bespoke mannequins at the museum have been designed to draw the visitors' attention to the bags on display. Two of the mannequins were designed by the milliner Stephen Jones. [2]
The museum is housed in a 10-story building called Bagstage [2] which is shaped like a handbag "with two 'straps' for a 'handle' on the roof". [3] Bagstage also incorporates a shop selling bag materials, workshops where new Korean designers can work rent-free, a section where craftsmen will produce bags and two shops. [2]
The admission fee is $5. In 2018, 4,000 people visited the museum. [3]
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton, is a French luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, perfumes, watches, jewellery, accessories, sunglasses and books. Louis Vuitton is one of the world's leading international fashion houses. It sells its products through standalone boutiques, lease departments in high-end departmental stores, and through the e-commerce section of its website.
A handbag, commonly known as a purse in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items. It has also been called a pocketbook in parts of the U.S.
Judith Leiber was a Hungarian-American fashion designer and businesswoman.
The Seoul Arts Center is an arts complex in Seocho District, Seoul, South Korea. It consists of five main buildings: the Opera House, with three auditoriums; the Music Hall, with two concert halls; the Hangaram Art Museum; the Hangaram Design Museum; and the Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum. The Opera House is built in a shape that resembles the traditional Korean bamboo hat called gat.
The hobo bag is a style of handbag or purse that is typically large and characterized by a crescent shape, a slouchy posture and a long strap designed to wear over the shoulder. Hobo bags are made out of soft, flexible materials and tend to slump, or slouch, when set down. There are many different sizes and shapes of this popular woman's fashion accessory.
An It bag is a high-priced designer handbag that has become a popular best-seller. The phenomenon arose in the fashion industry and was named in the 1990s and 2000s. Examples of handbag brands that have been considered "It bags" are Chanel, Hermès and Fendi.
Mulberry is a British fashion company founded in 1971, best known for its luxury leather goods, particularly women's handbags.
Longchamp is a French leather goods company, founded in Paris in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain. The company pioneered luxury leather-covered pipes before expanding into small leather goods. Longchamp debuted women's handbags in 1971, becoming one of France's leading leather goods makers. Today, the company designs and manufactures leather and canvas handbags, luggage, shoes, travel items, fashion accessories, and women's ready-to-wear. The house is privately owned and managed by the Cassegrain founding family and does business in 80 countries through around 1,500 retail outlets.
Kang Seung-hyun, commonly known as Hyoni Kang, is a South Korean model who won Ford's Model of the World title in 2008 at the age of 19. She is the first Asian model to win this award.
The Museum of Bags and Purses, was a museum devoted to the history of bags, purses, and their related accessories. Located in Amsterdam's historic central canal belt, the museum's collection included over 5,000 items dating back to the sixteenth-century.
Kooba is a brand of contemporary handbags designed and owned by New York designer Abby Held.
Belen Echandia was a handbag and fashion accessory design and manufacturing company. It was incorporated in 2005 and is based in London, England. Belen Echandia produces leather handbags, travel bags, wallets, clutch purses, and accessories for women.
Felicity Brown is an English-born artist and designer. She lives and works in London in the United Kingdom. Her website is www.felicitybrown.co.uk.
Kate Spade New York is an American luxury fashion house founded in January 1993 by Kate and Andy Spade. In 2017, the company was purchased by Tapestry, Inc., formerly known as Coach, Inc.
Radley is a London-based, British accessories brand which designs and manufactures luxury handbags, purses and other women's accessories for UK and international markets. The brand was founded by Lowell Harder in 1998.
A bag is a common tool in the form of a non-rigid container, typically made of cloth, leather, paper or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal skin, cotton, or woven plant fibers, folded up at the edges and secured in that shape with strings of the same material. Bags can be used to carry items such as personal belongings, groceries, and other objects. They comes in various shapes and sizes, often equipped with handles or straps for easier carrying.
Valextra is a brand of luxury leather goods and accessories based in Milan, Italy. The name is a portmanteau of "Valigia", the Italian word for suitcase, and "extra".
The ESSE Purse Museum is a museum located in Little Rock, Arkansas featuring women's handbags, and the day-to-day items carried in them, illustrating the stories of American women's lives during the 1900s. Special topic exhibits are hosted, and the museum has a gift shop. The museum's name is derived from the Latin infinitive for "to be".
Lancel is a French Maison of luxury leather goods, founded in Paris in 1876 by Angèle and Alphonse Lancel and developed by their son Albert.
Judith Clark is an exhibition-maker and art director living in London. Clark is Professor of Fashion and Museology at University of the Arts London in London and Co-Director of the Centre for Fashion Curation. She is visiting professor at Università Iuav di Venezia (IUAV), Venice, and Associate Fellow at City and Guilds of London Art School