Exotic Skin Handbags
Fashion Encyclopedia by Victoria Stowe
Press
“Over ten years in the making, this rare study is destined to become an important guide to the luxuries market and a useful reference for smart-dressing shoppers everywhere.”
Nancy Schiffer
Shiffer Publishing Ltd.
“Alligator and crocodile handbags once were elegant. Now they are both elegant and highly collectible. Stowe's newly released volume is about to become timeless on its own. It includes just about all of the impressive and important makers of such handbags.”
Robert Reed
Antique and Collectible News
“As a historical record of a luxury accessory, the book is fascinating and full of eye-candy; as a collector's guide, I would imagine it to be indispensable.... It's packed with fashion, information, and an aficionados appreciation of these luxury accessories.”
Sarah McFarlan
threadsmagazine.com
“I have read quite a few books on vintage accessories and bags but NO one ever cover exotic skin as informative as this one. This book is a true reference guide for a real collector... The bags in the book are well chosen and reflect the author's good taste and expertise.”
Sesy Hassan
Collector, Amazon Customer
“As an antique & vintage purse collector and a member of the Antique Purse Collectors Society, I found Exotic Skin to be an excellent reference book. For any collector who has ever wondered ‘is this bag worth the price?’ when considering a vintage alligator, crocodile, snake, ostrich, lizard, caiman purse, that question can be answered within the pages of this book. By the end of Exotic Skin, the reader will have the knowledge to discern a valued and long-lasting bag from a lesser skin bag. Hundreds of color photographs are complemented with fashion ads, illustrations, and helpful close-ups that highlight amazing clasps and features desired on vintage skin handbags. History is covered in the book: a ban on harvesting wild skins, endangered species, origins of exotic skins, and conservation measures that rescued particular species from extinction. Exotic Skin explores, in detail, the extensive relationships between manufacturers and customers throughout the years. The book shares interesting detailed specifics, such as King Edward's impact on men’s accessories, how war affected fashion, and how periods in our history helped define fashions and accessories. By doing the homework for you, the book encourages handbag collectors and fashion-conscious buyers to acquire these pieces of history; to appreciate and carry vintage exotic skin handbags which are classic, beautiful, timeless works of art.”
Collector, Antique Purse Collectors Society