A Review (and Preview) of FWMOA’s Newest Exhibit
A purse is a powerful thing- it holds all your stuff. Ilene Hochberg Wood is under review by Guinness World Records for a world record for the largest collection of handbags. Her collection makes you take a step back; there were seemingly far more than the promised 300 purses in a presentation at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.
The Fort Wayne Museum of Art has welcomed Hochberg Wood’s 300 “PURSEonal” favorites into an exhibition running until July 20. Before the exhibit debuted, the museum teased that there would be designer and name brands like Jimmy Choo, Betsey Johnson, and even Andy Warhol among the 300 handbags on display. Wood keeps her bags in an army bunker in plastic bins, labeled with tape.
This purse featured in the exhibit. Unknown French maker, 1920s-30s, black antelope suede with antique gold fold over clasp with Art Deco relief design inset with carved shell cameos.
“Women love handbags. They are totems and objects of desire that convey who we are and what we hold dear, both literally and figuratively. Look at any woman and the bag she carries, and you learn a lot about her and the image she wants to convey to the world. Empty the bag out and examine its contents to learn who she really is inside and what she finds essential to her everyday existence.” -Ilene Hochberg Wood
Hochberg Wood is more than just a fashionable person. She graduated from Cornell University in 1976 and has had success as a fashion historian. Her upcoming book, “PURSEonality,” is her first book about fashion. Her other titles are “Vanity Fur,” “Douge” and “Catmopolitian.” Based out of Pennsylvania, Hochberg Wood is a bestselling author, fashion and jewelry designer, pet product designer and magazine editor- it’s no wonder why she needs so many bags! This is not the first time Hochberg Wood has allowed a museum to display her collection. In 2019, at Kemerer and the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem opened an exhibit titled “PURSEonality: A Stylish Handbag History.”
“I am interested in fashion and the artistry and history of purses. I am drawn to bags that convey a story about their past and the women who originally owned them. I appreciate originality, humor, bold statements and details that give insight into the women who chose to carry them.” -Ilene Hochberg Wood
Purses shaped like horses, bags with her face on them, handbags from the Victorian era and even a bag shaped like a chicken are all on display. Purses are set in glass cases and organized by theme and color. Animal shaped bags are displayed across a few tables and cases with book-shaped bags nearby.
This purse is currently on display at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Unknown maker, 1960s-70s, black Ink drawing on wood
On a free admission Thursday evening, the museum had a steady buzz of patrons perusing the purses. I saw women and girls of so many ages looking at purses and laughing at all the outrageous and flashy bags.
I walked through the museum flanked by women who also have an affinity for purses as strong as my own. When Hochberg Wood was a young girl, her first purse was a red Coach handbag, given to her by her mother. The woman who gave me my first purse was my grandmother, and she toured the exhibit with me. We tried to pick a favorite from Hochberg Wood’s collection, but how could you pick just one?
The exhibit is simple: white and glass cases with quotes from Hochberg Wood on purses, style and history decorating the walls. This exhibit is intentionally designed to let fashion do the talking. How could you even try to upstage an original Andy Warhol?
Fort Wayne-based brand Vera Bradley is not only represented by purses in their own case, ranging from the classic paisley print to leather and beaded bags, but also offered support for the collection and exhibit. Other supporters include Jae and Justin McGee and the Edward D. and Ione Auer Foundation.
And they aren’t just bags. A purse is a bag that holds daily necessities and, of course, adds a fashionable touch. Purses are a craft: leather work, beading and sewing are skills that can work together to create a piece of functional fashion.
I walked into the museum excited to see some purses — specifically designer bags worth more than I could imagine. A good bag commands my attention and always has. I have never seen so many bags in one room. I was overwhelmed by handbags. My mind styled each purse as if it was a part of my own wardrobe. I had thought that handbags were only for accessorizing and carrying my belongings.
Wood believes that a bag says something about a woman. The style of the bag can give a preview to the person carrying it. What do 300 bags say about Wood? Purses act as a status symbol, container and accessory. Family and friends tell me that I carry a “Mary Poppins” purse. I have everything I could possibly need in my brown Coach handbag. I will pull objects and belongings out of the bag like a magician commanding an audience. I think the objects in your purse say more about the owner than the bag itself. I would like to know what Wood carried in her handbags.
Fort Wayne Museum of Art and Hochberg Wood’s 300 “PURSEonal” favorites is running until July 20, 2025, and is impeccably put together. The fashion is beautiful. The quantity of purses seems never-ending. The quality of these bags in Hochberg Wood’s collection shows how an everyday item has more significance to pop culture and society. The variety shows that fashion, purses and style can have a little whimsy too.
My PURSEonal Favorites: 300 Bags from the World’s Largest Handbag Collection: $8 – $10, now through July 20, 311 E. Main Street, 260.422.6467, fwmoa.org
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