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practical accessory but
could be fun or even
ridiculous, and could be
changed easily to suit the
wearer’s mood. Designers
like London’s Mary Quant
used bold graphic prints
and odd materials like
Lucite and tried to make
fashion accessible to
everyone regardless of age
or social status. The bag of
choice during this time
was the “swinging”
shoulder bag that kept the
hands free and became a
symbol of liberation for
the sixties woman. The
hippie movement soon
ousted graphic PVC in
favor of big, unstructured
bags made from of textiles
and natural materials like
suede and wool.
1970-1980 Feminists,
Falchi & Fakes
The 1970’s broke to unrest
Joy feelings magazine
among women as
feminists like Germaine
Greer targeted the fashion
industry as one of the
cultural institutions that
dominated and suppressed
women with its
unattainable beauty ideals.
Many women began to
reject bras, handbags,
make-up and anything else
with a clearly feminine
connotation. As a result,
bags of the early 1970’s
were very serious,
imminently practical and
had little adornment. The
bag had became a very
utilitarian tool but as disco
entered the scene, women
wanted something a bit
more flashy. Carlos Falchi
stepped in making bags of
pink crocodile, black
python and red lizard skin
that fit well into the
sexually-charged