Judith Leiber is the handbag brand known for creating jeweled minaudières under designer Judith Leiber.
Judith Leiber founded her company in New York in 1963 after working in handbag manufacturing. The brand became famous for small evening bags covered with crystals, beads and elaborate metalwork. These minaudières often take the form of animals, food, buildings or other recognisable objects, turning a functional accessory into a miniature sculpture.
A minaudière is a small hard-bodied evening case, usually carried by hand. The term is associated with the development of decorative metal evening bags in the twentieth century. Judith Leiber’s versions are especially recognisable because of their detailed jeweled surfaces and playful novelty shapes.
The brand is sometimes confused with Anya Hindmarch, which is also known for witty novelty accessories, but the two labels have different histories and construction traditions. Judith Leiber’s defining speciality is the crystal-encrusted hard minaudière, often made as a limited-edition collectible rather than an everyday handbag.