SHOW US YOUR PURSE
• Name: Olivia DeBerardinis
• Occupation: World-renowned pin-up artist
• Occasion: Book signing at the new Bettie Page Las Vegas store during Rockabilly Weekend
• What kind of handbag? Vintage clutch with a Bakelite oriental top and a soft butter leather black bottom that was refurbished about 10 years ago.
• How much did it cost? Not sure, I found it about 15 years ago.
• Where did you get it? Antique show at the civic center in Santa Monica, Calif.
• What does your handbag say about you? That I once dreamed of being a dancer in Shanghai.
• Why did you choose this handbag today? I am in Las Vegas for the weekend. This bag has the right retro vibe, especially fitting with the sultry, retro feel of Bettie Page and it fit all of the essentials.
• What do you like about this handbag? That it is gorgeous and versatile, day to evening.
• How many handbags do you own? 15 to 20.
• What’s the most you ever paid for a handbag? About the price of a crown molar.
• Image is … Personal style, your purse is like miniature luggage; you carry around what you need in everyday life and since it is a personal reflection, you want it to look good, but also something you like and reflects yourself.
• What’s in your handbag? Clockwise from top: Chanel rouge lipstick, Chanel natural pressed powder, Antique burlwood cigarette holder circa 1920s used as a business card holder, silk scarf, Hello Kitty personal massager (this is the perfect size for hand massaging during eight-hour book signings), Bettie Page playing cards and a luggage tag holder with picture of my two boy pugs.
