On Ladies and Handbags

On Ladies and Handbags by Mylo Freeman

A handbag can carry everyday essentials, treasured letters, closely guarded secrets and even the occasional small dog. It can also communicate wealth, independence, creativity, rebellion or belonging without its owner saying a word.

On Ladies and Handbags is a beautifully illustrated celebration of 50 remarkable women and the bags that became part of their public image, personal history or creative identity.

Written and illustrated by award winning author Mylo Freeman, this elegant hardback brings fashion, history and women’s stories together in a collection that is stylish, informative and full of personality.

More than a fashion accessory

Handbags have appeared in different forms throughout history, from practical pouches and concealed pockets to carefully crafted luxury designs. They have carried money, cosmetics, documents, love letters and countless private possessions.

Over time, the bag became much more than a useful container. It developed into a symbol of social position, independence, occupation and personal style.

For some women, a particular bag became inseparable from their image. For others, it represented freedom, artistic expression or the ability to move through the world on their own terms.

Freeman approaches the handbag as both an object and a storyteller. By examining what women carried and the bags they chose, she reveals unexpected details about their lives, work and influence.

Readers interested in the wider development of bags can also explore the Victoria and Albert Museum’s history of bags, design and craftsmanship.

Fifty women with fifty distinctive stories

On Ladies and Handbags introduces readers to an impressively diverse group of women from fashion, music, activism, entertainment, art, royalty and exploration.

The collection includes global musical icons Rihanna and Grace Jones, whose fearless approaches to fashion have helped define their public identities.

Readers also meet influential designers such as Coco Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Miuccia Prada and South African fashion designer Palesa Mokubung. Their stories reveal how clothing and accessories can challenge convention and reshape ideas about beauty and style.

Artists, performers and activists also take their place in the collection. Josephine Baker, Laverne Cox, Anna May Wong and Yayoi Kusama appear alongside pioneers such as journalist and explorer Nellie Bly.

Other familiar figures include Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Jane Birkin, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Paris Hilton, Kate Moss and Iris Apfel.

Freeman also introduces women who may be less familiar to some readers. This balance between famous names and overlooked pioneers makes the collection a journey of discovery rather than simply a catalogue of celebrities.

Fashion, identity and women’s history

Each profile uses the relationship between a woman and her handbag as an entry point into a larger story.

A bag may be chosen for its beauty, practicality or craftsmanship. It might communicate status or serve as an act of resistance. In some cases, the bag becomes so strongly associated with its owner that fashion history remembers the two together.

These individual portraits also demonstrate how women have used fashion to negotiate public life. Clothing and accessories can affect how a woman is perceived, but they can also help her control that perception.

Across On Ladies and Handbags, fashion becomes a language through which women express ambition, humour, creativity, authority and independence.

The book is entertaining enough for casual reading while offering meaningful insight into gender, design, popular culture and social history.

Beautiful illustrations on every page

Mylo Freeman’s colourful illustrations give every profile its own visual character. The artwork captures the personality of each woman while drawing attention to the shape, colour and meaning of her chosen bag.

Rather than reading like a conventional reference book, the collection invites readers to browse, pause and return to favourite portraits. Its illustrated presentation makes it especially attractive as a fashion coffee table book.

The hardback format also gives the title strong gift appeal. It can be displayed in a living room, creative studio, fashion boutique, library or office while remaining a book readers will genuinely want to explore.

Why read On Ladies and Handbags?

This distinctive fashion history book is ideal for readers who enjoy:

• Books about handbags and fashion accessories
• Illustrated stories of influential women
• Fashion design and popular culture
• Women’s history and biography
• Beautiful coffee table books
• Stories about identity and personal style
• Books featuring diverse global women
• Thoughtful gifts for fashion lovers

It will appeal to fashion students, designers, illustrators, historians and collectors as well as anyone curious about the objects people carry every day.

The short profiles also make the book accessible to readers who enjoy dipping into a collection rather than reading from beginning to end.

A thoughtful gift for fashion lovers

On Ladies and Handbags makes a memorable gift for birthdays, graduations, professional milestones, Mother’s Day and other celebrations.

It is especially suitable for someone interested in fashion, illustration, design, women’s history or iconic cultural figures. Its combination of attractive artwork and fascinating stories gives it more substance than a purely decorative coffee table book.

Readers looking for more beautifully presented nonfiction can explore Cassava Republic’s African and Black nonfiction collection.

You may also enjoy Female Fear Factory, another Cassava Republic title examining gender, power and the experiences of women.

About Mylo Freeman

Mylo Freeman grew up in The Hague and lives in Amsterdam. She has worked as a full time writer and illustrator since 1993 and has published more than 50 picture books.

Her debut, Potty!, received the Kiek Book Prize and has been translated into several languages. Her illustrations are known for their warmth, colour and celebration of diversity.

In On Ladies and Handbags, Freeman combines her visual storytelling with an enduring interest in women, culture and personal style. The result is an engaging tribute to the women who turned an everyday accessory into something memorable.

Order On Ladies and Handbags today and discover 50 inspiring women through the fashion, history and personal stories carried in their bags.