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atmosphere that disco
created.
While Falchi’s unusual
designs were very popular,
branded bags still reigned
and labels became more
and more important.
Simple structured
handbags fetched high
prices, not based on the
materials, but based on the
logo they carried. This
new obsession with logos
also led to the
counterfeiting of designer
products. Industrial
advances caused many
companies to move their
manufacturing to poorer
countries where there was
less oversight and less
concern over copyright
infringement. Fake
handbags flooded the
market, tarnishing highquality brands like Gucci.
Joy feelings magazine
1980-2000 Success &
Simplicity
The 1980’s saw women
climbing the corporate
ladder and looking for
items to show that they
were moving up. The
designer handbag proved a
good way to exhibit
wealth and good taste.
Female executives were
often encouraged to
eschew the purse entirely
since such a feminine item
could prevent them from
advancing in a maledominated workforce, but
many corporate women
ignored this advice
believing that femininity
and business success
could go together. Women
began “power dressing” in
shorter skirts, sharply
tailored suits and killer
heels. Their bags followed
suit becoming large and
flashy.