With a somewhat surprising degree of candor, company president Mary Gleason explained to WWD the motivation behind creating Overture by Judith Leiber—a 15-piece contemporary line of evening bags priced between $200-$700, as opposed to the traditional collection's range of $1,500-$12,000.
First of all, there was eBay: "When you look on eBay and you look at the [Judith Leiber bags] being sold, they’re really in that $200-to-800 range. So, if there’s a customer out there who’s buying at that price point, why can’t I get it right up front?" asked Gleason.
The result is a collection of geometric, crystal-encrusted miniaudieres in jewel tones, metallics and animal prints (though no Judith Leiber-signature, actual animal figurines in sight) and larger studded suede shoulder bags for day.
Gleason also cited mother-daughter pairs like Kathy and Nicky Hilton (what, no Paris?), and Overture's aim to capture that second generation of party-goer, pointing out that “some of the girls who have grown up with their moms having Judith Leiber bags, they want their own. They’ll buy the real deal, but they’ll also look for a more contemporary expression of the brand for themselves.”
Though Overture is an offshoot, an overture is first and foremost an introduction—so this is a prequel, if you will, for a lifetime of jewel-box evening bags to be had, if all goes according to planned.
