Abstract

The woman’s handbag is an iconic consumer artefact layered with meaning. Ideologies, economics, culture, social statuses, and identities converge in this object. Superfluous but fetishized luxury, essential useful tool, communications device, fashion arbiter, all this and more. To shed light on this fascinating artefact and its journey to a contemporary marketplace icon, we first clarify how the iconicity of the handbag emerged and changed over time. Tracking historical turning points and changes in society offers a basis for understanding how the handbag displays its iconic value today. We conclude this marketplace essay by looking into the many ways that handbag consumption manifests in contemporary times, through consumers’ everyday performances.

摘要

女士手袋是标志性的消费手工艺品，具有层次感。意识形态、经济、文化、社会地位和身份在这个对象中汇聚。多余但被迷恋的奢侈品，必不可少的有用工具，通讯设备，时尚仲裁者，等等。为了阐明这件迷人的手工艺品及其成为当代市场标志的旅程，我们首先阐明手袋的标志性是如何随着时间的推移而出现和变化的。追踪历史转折点和社会变迁，为了解手袋在今天如何展现其标志性价值提供了基础。我们通过消费者的日常表现研究手袋消费在当代表现出来的多种方式来结束这篇市场文章。