^{Image courtesy of The Museum of Bags and Purses}

“The Bead Goes On” in Amsterdam

From June 19th to September 18th 2016, beads will be taking the centre stage at the Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam. In the exhibition The Bead Goes On, beaded purses and accessories from the 18th century onwards will be on display. The Museum’s collection will show that even though the use of beads in purses go back centuries, it is still very much in vogue. From exclusive eighteenth-century fashion accessories made of tiny glass beads to the sparkling beads glued onto shoes by contemporary designer Tomas Kroes: the use of beads is ever-evolving. In addition to all this, visitors will be able to touch the beads: are they made of glass, metal, plastic, or wood?

^{Image courtesy of The Museum of Bags and Purses}

The golden years of the beaded purse – In the 18th century, beads as small as grains of sand, called sablé (after the French word for ‘sandy’ or ‘sand-like’), were used in exclusive purses, pouches, shoes, bonnets, chatelaines and wallets. At the time, items such as these were the ultimate fashion accessories of the French elite, and beads have become a key feature in fashion design ever since. In the 19th century, beads were increasingly knitted into purses, reticules, tobacco pouches and other accessories. The Roaring Twenties, however, were the absolute golden years for the bead. Clothes, purses, hats, shoes and fans trimmed with beads were extremely popular. Parisian designers like Paul Poiret, Madame Vionnet, Madame Lanvin, Pastou, Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli all used beads in their garments. Beaded bags and accessories that might be deemed old-fashioned now, were considered the height of fashion back then. These days, brands like Valentino, Alexander McQueen, L.K. Bennett, Les Petits Joueurs, Mary Frances, and designers like Tomas Kroes employ the beads in their designs in a modern way.

^{Image courtesy of The Museum of Bags and Purses}

Bertrand Fried Collection and the Glaser firm – A considerable number of the purses and accessories in the exhibition The Bead Goes On comes from the collection of Bertrand Fried: a descendant of the Fried Frères, the most famous Parisian company dealing in beads and beaded accessories (since 1886). The Fried Frères exported all kinds of glass beads, and in the golden age of the bead, the 1920s, they also had an establishment in London. On display as well will be bags from the collection of Martha Meijer, of the Glaser Quality Beads firm in Amsterdam, the oldest and best-known company trading in beads in the Netherlands.

The Museum of Bags and Purses, Amsterdam
From June 19th to September 18th 2016

more. tassenmuseum.nl