Designer
Devises the look and proportions of an object and thinks about how it will be worn, opened and folded. This idea is what copyright and trade mark law later protect.
Brand histories (in Russian)
People
People and makers
Every accessory passes through many hands. One person designs the shape, another dresses the leather, a third assembles the piece and attaches the fittings, and years later someone carefully cleans, mends and catalogues the same object. We write about professions and roles rather than celebrities: the culture of accessories rests on the work of countless craftspeople whose names history rarely keeps.
A good bag has many authors. Most of them will never see who carries it.
How this section works: we write about the roles and crafts connected with accessories and name no names, neither historical figures nor living people. This keeps us clear of legends and stops a story about craft from turning into advertising.
Who creates the culture of accessories
Six roles without which accessories would never have become part of culture.
Leatherworker
Selects and cuts the leather, stitches the edges, fits the clasps and handles. Their care decides whether a bag lasts a season or several decades.
Milliner
Shapes felt and straw on a hat block and chooses ribbons and linings. The milliner's craft keeps techniques that have barely changed over many generations.
Headbands & hats (in Russian)
Jeweller
Works with metal and stone: casting, chasing, engraving. Buckles, clasps and bag frames often come out of the jeweller's workshop too.
Textile conservator
Strengthens fragile silk, restores embroidery and gently removes dirt. The task is to preserve the object without erasing the traces of its life.
History of bags (in Russian)
Costume collection curator
Catalogues objects, establishes their provenance, monitors light and humidity in the store and decides how to show a fragile accessory to the public.
How to read the legend of a fashion label without believing the myth
- Separate the marketing story from the history: a charming tale about a humble workshop is often written much later, for the sake of image.
- Look for primary sources, such as entries in trade mark registers, old catalogues and period advertisements, not retellings of retellings.
- Be sceptical if a story has no verifiable detail at all: no place, no date, no document.
- Remember that a famous name on a product does not mean one person made it: there is usually a whole workshop behind it.
- Distinguish between the date a workshop was founded, the date a mark was registered and the time when the label's goods became widely known.
- Check facts against at least two independent sources and say honestly where they disagree.
Read next
- History
Accessories through the ages: from the belt pouch to the shoulder bag, the Paris Convention of 1883 and the day established by WIPO in 2000.
- Analysis
What a leather bag is made of, and how leather, suede, cotton, silk, metal and plastic change over the years.
- Events
Costume exhibitions, vintage fairs, craft workshops and museum talks: the kinds of events there are and how to check an announcement.
- Brand histories (in Russian)
A note at an archived address: how to research the history of a fashion label from open sources, and what not to believe.
- Articles
The magazine's six themes, from the history of accessories to authorship and trade marks, plus a catalogue of articles in English.
Sources
- Encyclopaedic sources on the history of costume
- Civil Code of the Russian Federation (Article 1477)
Articles of law and the dates of international agreements are cited from open official texts; laws change, so always check the version currently in force. Confirm announcements of exhibitions, fairs and talks with the organisers.