It’s all about the accessories, right?
This Sunday, June 22, head to American Legion Post 419 (10 Montauk Highway, East Hampton) for the first annual Hampton Handbag Festival. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., more than a dozen purse pros will be on hand all day to dispense and distill the origins of their wares.
More than just a clutch affair, the day also will have three thoroughly informative sack-centric sessions:
- at 11 a.m, Ilene Hochberg Wood, author, owner of a collection of 9,000 handbags and curator of the exhibition “PURSEonality” will host “How I Created the Largest Handbag Collection in the Wold and Why”
- at 1 p.m., Brett Heeley from event sponsor Bonhams Auction House will clue you into spotting fakes and knowing when you’re in the presence of the real deal with “Buying and Selling Pre-Owned Luxury Bags”
Among the dozen or so vendors, are Lola Saratoga with vintage Hermes, Gucci and Chanel in tow; the archival collectibles from Kingston, N.Y.’s Reracked; Samsara Sari, who turn pre-loved saris into myriad new items — among them, purses — and who donate a portion of the proceeds currently to Covid-19 relief funds for India, whose cases have been surging as of late; the whimsical haute-bohemian pieces of Lenora Dame; the ’80s and ’90s throwback styles from Trace Canell Clothier and a plethora of purses and their respective purveyors beyond the latter.
The best part about the day: Handbag hounds are guaranteed a carefully curated selection that you won’t find on East Hampton’s tony Main Street. Instead, this event promises to be a one-of-kind moment in unique accessory sourcing. Bonus: Baiting Hollow Vineyard will be offering skippable samples to those over 21 with identification (something you can pop into that new purse you’re likely to buy).
The Hamptons Handbag Festival is free to enter. For more details, click here.
