Fragrance house

Judith Leiber

Judith Leiber was founded in New York in 1963 by Judith Peto Leiber, who was born in Budapest and immigrated to the United States in 1947. The house initially focused on leather handbags before developing its crystal-covered minaudières. That signature approach emerged when Leiber used rhinestones to conceal damage to a metal handbag frame, and it became a defining part of the brand’s visual identity. Its designs later evolved into sculptural, crystal-encrusted pieces featuring imaginative animal and food forms. Leiber retired in 1998, after which the business was sold to Time Products and later resold to Pegasus Apparel Group, which became The Leiber Group in 2001. The brand received the Coty Fashion Award in 1973 and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994. Its handbags are represented in collections or permanent design archives associated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Today, Authentic Brands Group identifies Judith Leiber Couture as an Authentic-owned luxury brand within the Authentic Luxury Group joint venture announced with Saks Global in 2024.