Susan B. Anthony It Bag
There are plenty of historical figures we can imagine inspiring an It bag: Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Lady Gaga—but Susan B. Anthony?
The Susan B. Anthony House, a National Historic Landmark in Rochester, N.Y., is offering a limited-edition $250 faux-alligator handbag inspired by the legendary suffragette’s trademark purse.
The bag is available in a limited run of 2,000, and according to the New York Times, over 500 have already been sold—including one that Alec Baldwin (really!) bought at a charity auction for $5,000.
Made in China (Deborah Hughes, the executive director of the Susan B. Anthony House, assures the Times that “the standards of labor were high”), the satchel—or Purse with a Purpose, as the museum refers to it—comes complete with two of Anthony’s famous quotes: “Failure is impossible!” on the back of the purse, and “Every woman needs a purse of her own,” which is stamped on the reverse of the Abigail Riggs bee emblem.
One hundred percent of the purchase price will benefit the museum, according to the gift shop’s Web site.
“To the extent we are continuing her work, she would be supportive of this,” Hughes told the Times, citing a quote from Anthony: “Any advertising is good. Get praise if possible, blame if you have to. But never stop being talked about.”
In other gift shop fashion news, mini versions of Alexander McQueen's "Armadillo" shoes are being sold at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
What's next: Gloria Steinem stilettos?
