Our Heritage
The History of Judith Leiber Couture
From Budapest to the red carpet — a century of craft, told through the moments that shaped the icons.
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1921
Born in Budapest
Judith Peto is born in Budapest, Hungary.
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1938
King's College, London
She travels to London to study chemistry at King's College, with dreams of entering the cosmetics industry. When the war broke out, she returned to Budapest for an apprenticeship at The Handbag Maker's Guild.
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1944
The Occupation
Judith returns to her family where they are forced from their home and into the Jewish ghetto during the Nazi occupation.
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1945
The First Handbags
She begins making handbags of her own, which she sells to employees of the U.S. Army. During this time, she meets Sergeant Gerson "Gus" Leiber, who would soon become her husband. They marry the following year and move to New York.
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1948
New York
Judith starts working as an assistant patternmaker for designer Nettie Rosenstein where she gains recognition, quickly becoming a household name and creating designs for societal figures including ties to First Ladies.
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1953
A First Lady's Inaugural Ball
She designs a handbag for First Lady Mamie Eisenhower's Inaugural Ball. The piece propels her into the public eye and begins her tradition of creating bags for First Ladies.
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1963
Judith Leiber Handbags
Judith and Gus establish their own company: Judith Leiber Handbags.
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1985
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan carries one of her evening bags to President Reagan's second inauguration, cementing Judith's place in the world of American fashion.
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1994
Lifetime Achievement
Judith is honored with the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award, adding to a growing list such as The Coty Award, Neiman Marcus Award for Excellence in Design, Visionary Woman Award.
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1980–2013
The First Ladies
Judith Leiber continues to design bags for the U.S. First Ladies Inaugural Celebrations, associating her name with these historic moments in time.
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1998
A Remarkable Chapter Closes
She officially retires after completing her design contract and sells the brand, closing a remarkable chapter in her career and designing her final handbag, The Peacock.
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2005–Present
The Leiber Collection
In her retirement, Judith and Gus open The Leiber Collection in East Hampton, New York where they showcase every piece she designed throughout her career to the public alongside Gus's paintings. Several of her designs are also added to permanent collections in museums around the world including The Victorian Albert, The Smithsonian Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Taubman Museum of Art.
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2006
The Cupcake Bag
One of her most playful creations, the Cupcake Bag, becomes a pop culture icon when it appears on screen in Sex and the City.
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2009
The Shaftman Gallery
The Taubman Museum of Art opens the Shaftman Gallery with 120 of her handbags.
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2011
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Jana Matheson joins the company as Chief Creative Officer, carrying forward Judith's legacy with bold, red-carpet-ready designs, leveraging new technology and implementing modern, whimsical designs for the next generation of collectors.
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2015
On the Red Carpet
The brand experiences a pop culture renaissance with a focus on Red Carpet appearances, expanding the collector's base through a new group of Hollywood elite, and powerful cultural icons.
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2017
A New Creative Chapter
Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger signs on as co-owner, brand ambassador, and Creative Director.
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2017
The Age of Collaboration
Judith Leiber expands its reach among major fashion houses and iconic moments with collaborations including Gucci, Lanvin, Alexander Wang and Ashley Longshore as well as working on custom projects as seen on the Met Gala red carpet with special creations like Zendaya's Cinderella Carriage and Lady Gaga's Brick Phone.
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2018
Heavenly Bodies
Met Gala designs for Jean Paul Gaultier, Rihanna, and Blake Lively.
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2018
A Shared Farewell
Judith and Gus pass away within hours of each other. They are laid to rest together near their Long Island home.
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2023
Sixty Years
Judith Leiber celebrates its 60th Anniversary, launching a tribute Holiday collection. Featured prominently at the FIT Food and Fashion Exhibit and honored at The Crown to Couture at the Kensington Palace Museum.
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2026
The Book of Iconic Bags
Several Judith Leiber minaudières are featured in Assouline's Fashionphile: The Book of Iconic Bags, celebrating its place among the world's most renowned handbags. The Mint Museum presents Brilliant by Design: The Handbags of Judith Leiber, a retrospective on the vision and craftsmanship of the brand's creations.
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The Future of Judith Leiber
With the launch of two international store openings and Judith Leiber's first showing at Paris Fashion Week, the brand continues its global outreach, always keeping one goal in mind: to spread joy and sparkle around the world.
