From The Art of the Handbag:

Priscilla Snyder was still in her teens when she began “painting with thread,” a technique that involves intensive textural embroidery and appliqué that is often mistaken for paint. She began by stitching studies of her hands and feet and was soon embroidering portraits of people and animals. When she joined her sister in puppet making, Snyder continued to use the same stitching techniques.

From The Art of the Handbag:

Alexander McQueen was celebrated for his meticulous craftsmanship and extraordinary creativity despite the controversy generated by some of his early ready-to-wear shows When McQueen died in 2010, he was mourned both by the fashion world and his millions of fans The label, however, has continued to thrive under the direction of his protégé, Sarah Burton, who brings her own sensibility to bear on her designs while maintaining McQueen’s exquisite workmanship

From The Art of the Handbag:

In the 1980s, California Bay Area native Mary Frances abandoned real estate for a more creative career. She began by designing costume jewelry, and her love of the genre lives on in her beaded and bejeweled bags. The designer launched her first collection of bags in 1989. Needless to say, it was a smash hit. Since then, her business has grown exponentially, but every bag is still made by hand. Mary Frances has twice been named “Star of the Show” at Paris Fashion Week and in 2004, won the Accessory Designer of the Year Award at the Dallas Fashion Awards.

The Art of the Handbag: You only have to look up to find Gavant’s inspiration for these two bags. A flash of lightning, a clap of thunder—et voila!—you have her “Cloud and Thunder” minaudière “(opposite page), designed to take the world by storm. Swarovski pearls link the shimmery lightning bolt handle to the roiling thundercloud bag. Even though Gavant’s cloud doesn’t have a silver lining, it does have one of soft suede edged in gold brocade trim dotted with tiny iridescent crystal raindrops.