Judith Leiber

Judith Leiber
Judith Leiber
Born	Judit Pető; 11 January 1921 (age 105); Budapest, Hungary
Died	28 April 2018 (aged 97); Springs, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Fashion designer, entrepreneur
Known for	Crystal-encrusted minaudières (evening bags)

Judith Leiber (originally named Judit Pető; January 11, 1921 – April 28, 2018) was a distinguished Hungarian-American designer and entrepreneur in the fashion industry.

Life and career

Born in 1921 in Budapest, Hungary, Leiber was the daughter of Helene, a homemaker from Vienna, and Emil, who worked as a commodities broker. She had one sibling, a sister named Eva. In 1938, her family arranged for her to attend King's College London to study chemistry with a focus on cosmetics, partly as a precaution due to the escalating unrest in Europe.

Before the outbreak of World War II, Leiber returned to Hungary and secured an apprenticeship at a handbag manufacturer through familial contacts. There, she acquired skills in leather cutting, pattern drafting, framing, and sewing. She became the first female to graduate as a master craftswoman and to be admitted into the Hungarian Handbag Guild based in Budapest.

Leiber survived the Holocaust by residing in a house designated for Swiss nationals, safeguarded by a Swiss schutzpass [de] that her father obtained; he was responsible for the grain division at a bank. This protective document is now preserved at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. In December 1944, residents were relocated to a ghetto controlled by Hungarian Nazis; following liberation by the Red Army, her family lived with others in cramped basement quarters.

In 1946, she married Gerson Leiber, an American Army sergeant stationed in Eastern Europe. Their meeting occurred while she was creating handbags for secretaries at the American Legation in Budapest. The couple moved to New York City in 1947. Gerson was an abstract expressionist artist whose works have been displayed at prominent venues such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Museum, and the Israel Museum.

Fashion career

After gaining experience designing handbags for various firms, Leiber established her own label in 1963. She became famous for her crystal-encrusted minaudières, which are evening bags crafted from metal cases often adorned with Swarovski crystals and finished with silver or gold plating. These purses are designed in whimsical forms like baby pigs, watermelon slices, cupcakes, peacocks, penguins, and snakes. Available at select boutiques globally, these luxury accessories command prices reaching several thousand dollars and have become coveted status symbols among women including Presidential First Ladies ranging from Mamie Eisenhower through Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton. Animal themes are common on her most expensive pieces, some valued above US$7,000. Collectors such as Bernice Norman of New Orleans possess significant collections of Leiber’s creations.

In recognition of her achievements, Leiber received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1992 and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers in 1994. She retired from designing in 1998. By 2008, the New York-based Luxury Institute ranked her brand as the leading luxury handbag label for two consecutive years. In 2010, she was presented with the Visionary Woman Award by Moore College of Art & Design. Her handbags are part of permanent collections at institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Taubman Museum of Art has maintained a dedicated gallery devoted to her work since its inauguration in 2008.

The Leibers acquired property in Springs, New York in 1956 and established it as their main home by 2011. They founded the Leiber Museum nearby in 2005 to display both Judith’s handbags and Gerson’s paintings. Their goal was to collect examples of every purse they had designed for exhibition. The museum also showcases various accolades such as the prestigious 1973 Coty Award.

Stores

Judith Leiber's boutiques maintain a highly selective presence, with just four stores globally located in New Delhi, Jakarta, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. In addition, her designs are offered through esteemed department stores including Neiman Marcus, Harvey Nichols, Lane Crawford, Holt Renfrew, Harrods, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Death

Leiber died at her residence in Springs, New York on April 28, 2018, mere hours following the passing of her spouse, Gerson Leiber.

External links