As accessories designer Monica Botkier puts it: “We handbag people are definitely a tribe!” If that’s the case, then consider her new tome, Handbags: A Love Story, the ultimate homage to that community. The book is a 238-page compilation of the greatest handbags designers and their signature design. Botkier covers her ground well, detailing the works of Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaïa, and Prada, to name just a few. If there was one person to write an all-encompassing love letter to handbags, Botkier is the natural choice. The launch of her career revolved around her determination to incorporate high-end handbags into her own wardrobe, even if she had to make them herself. We spoke to the designer about the book, which handbags have made a lasting mark on her, and how she became one of fashion’s key players in the accessories market.
What inspired you to put together your new book Handbags: A Love Story?
I wanted to celebrate the 15 years I spent as an accessory-obsessed person as well as expert. [I loved] the idea of reconnecting with my original passion for handbags as well as paying homage to some of the incredible designers and brands that have changed the game. I also wanted to give the collector and the aspirational collector a place to go where someone speaks their language.
Which handbag designs (or designers) have served as a major influence to you?
The Tom Ford Mombasa Bag for YSL is the one that started it all for me. I talk about it in the intro of the book. It opened my eyes to the possibilities
When did your own personal love story with handbags begin? How did that manifest into a career?
After I fell for the Mombasa and coughed up the rent money for the bag, I started to take an interest. I wanted to understand the language of handbags on the streets of New York City. My goal was to acquire another beauty for my collection, but soon, I realized that the cheaper and more interesting thing to do would be to make my own. I began researching and sourcing materials as well as sketching. The rest, as they say, is history. Barneys was my first account and the ride began full-throttle! Since I was a struggling fashion photographer back then, the models and editors on my shoots took a real interest in my bag which was the original Trigger bag and began placing orders. It wasn’t long before I incorporated and had a major business on my hands.
If you could collaborate with one designer on a bag collection who would it be?
Coco Chanel, of course, and Nicholas Ghesquière. Chanel’s 2.55 is the most timeless bag ever created. Her inspiration for those fabulous chain shoulder straps was to allow women more freedom, away from the elbow hook. She was a feminist revolutionary that broke the mold! And Nicholas’s Lariat bag for Balenciaga comes close in terms of timelessness and enduring covet-ability years after he has moved on from that house. It’s unbranded genius when the design or silhouette speaks rather than logo.
What are the three things every bag should have?
Lightweight, a shoulder strap that goes over the body to cross over, and pockets for easy phone access.
What are you working on now?
I continue to design accessories, bags and shoes as well as some home decor. I have gut-renovated a couple projects in Brooklyn over the last few years— a new but very intense passion. And I have three kids so that’s pretty full on. I think I’m working on some other things, so stay tuned.
