From Etienne Aigner, the Adeline Tote Bag features:
- Imported leather
- Magnet closure
- Interior: zip pocket, slip pocket and detachable pouch
- Double Handle
- Approx. 17.5#double; L X 12#double; H X 6#double; D; 10.5#double; handle drop
Imported.
Our beloved founder and forever inspiration, Etienne Aigner, was born in Hungary to a close-knit Jewish family who taught him the value of education and hard work. As a young man he would make his living as a carpet merchant, a window dresser, and a light bulb salesman. While apprenticing under a well known bookbinder in Paris, Mr. Aigner also learned to make handbags from a colleague in what he described as a “fortuitous accident.”
In a feat of groundbreaking marketing that anticipated an audience for multiple price points, he created a line of mother/daughter handbags that could be sold in pairs. Mr. Aigner’s roots in European craftsmanship and embrace of modern techniques made him a standout in America’s burgeoning post-war fashion scene.
Mr. Aigner sold the company in 1969, and he and Suzanne lived what was described by a friend as “comfortable but unpretentious lives,” splitting the year between France and New York (where he drove the same Oldsmobile for 25 years). He died in 2000 at age 95; global obituaries praised his style and innovation, calling Mr. Aigner “the man with the golden hands.”
Today, we build on our founder’s heritage, basing many new handbag, shoe, and accessory details on his original work. Enduring hallmarks include the iconic logo, signature hardware, woven leathers, and yes, wicker handbags.