When a Handbag Becomes Art: Judith Leiber Comes to Charlotte
By Scott Jelleyman, Editor, Queen City Backstage
An evening bag can hold very little and still carry a great deal of personality. Judith Leiber’s designs invite that distinction: accessories that ask to be considered as objects of imagination, craftsmanship and self-expression. Charlotte will have a chance to explore them when Brilliant by Design: The Handbags of Judith Leiber opens at Mint Museum Randolph on October 24, 2026.
The Life Behind the Designs
Born in Budapest in 1921, Leiber trained in handbag making after antisemitic restrictions limited her educational options. She survived the Holocaust and immigrated to the United States with her husband, artist Gerson Leiber, in 1947. After working in New York’s handbag industry, she founded her company in 1963.
That background gives the exhibition a human dimension beyond luxury. A visitor can follow the objects while also considering the training, persistence and technical knowledge behind them.
Accessories with Their Own Presence
The museum’s exhibition brings together more than 100 handbags and accessories alongside garments from its collection. It spans leather designs and metal minaudières—small, hard-sided evening bags—with animal forms and architectural references among the designs. Bridget Kerr, the Mint’s fashion fellow, curated the exhibition.
For readers who follow Charlotte’s runway scene, this is an opportunity to shift attention from the complete outfit to a single object. Consider how an accessory changes proportion, mood or the story an ensemble tells. The questions are just as relevant on a museum visit as they are backstage at a fashion show.
Plan Your Visit
October 24, 2026–July 3, 2027
Mint Museum Randolph
2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte.
This exhibition opens October 24; it is not yet on view as of October 16. Plan for the Randolph location, rather than Mint Museum Uptown.
Official exhibition details · Hours and visitor information · Museum admission
Image: Judith Leiber, Inc., “Pink Ringaling Rotary Phone Minaudiere (detail),” circa 2013. Gift of the family of Vicki and Jim Mills, 2025.34.102. Image via The Mint Museum’s exhibition press release; photographer not identified. Exhibition dates, location and collection details rechecked October 16, 2026.
