Article: Judith Leiber's handbags are functional art.(Gallery of Art)

Byline: Elizabeth Wellington

PHILADELPHIA _ Judith Leiber pulls six handbags from deep inside her Manhattan bedroom's walk-in closet. One black, two brown, two more black, their gilded chains and leather straps neatly tucked under gold clasps.

That's surprising. Shouldn't there be a jewel-encrusted clutch somewhere in the personal collection of this renowned handbag designer-to-the-stars? Where is the ladybug covered in red rhinestones and dotted with onyx? The famed multicolored pig? The leather windowpane clutch inspired by painter Piet Mondrian?

Leiber, dressed all in black, laughs quietly. Her 85-year-old eyes are the only things sparkling ...

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