Located on the 27th floor, the Fantasy Suite offered amazing views of the Las Vegas Strip. The huge suite had a bar, lounging areas, pool tables, luxury bedroom and a glassed-in shower with a stripper pole. That's right! You know you are officially in Las Vegas when the hotel room bathroom has a stripper pole in the shower.
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The opening reception was a great chance for members to reconnect, meet new people, and enjoy drinks, fresh fruit and cheeses, and good conversation. Everyone was having such a good time, we extended the reception another hour. A VIP gift bag was handed out in celebration of this year's convention. The bag was chock full of purse-, Las Vegas- and Asian-inspired items including geisha notepads, fortune cookie pens, a Japanese treat called Pocky, mini purse perfect for lipstick or small change, an individual unique origami purse pin hand-folded by Jennifer & her mom. Each bag featured a unique giant origami purse.
After a short break, it was on to dinner and our presentation on Japonisme from Jennifer. Prior to and after the presentation, attendees got the chance to look at 150 purses that Jennifer brought for folks to examine, along with embroidered kimono, fukusa and obis.
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All the purses showed examples of Japan's influence on Western purse design. Jennifer presented purses from Japan including inros, tonkotsu, tabako-ire, kinchaku, hakoseko, and souvenir purses. Western purses that showed Japan's influence included pieces from the Aesthetic period, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Modern. There were sterling silver purses, micro beaded purses, celluloid purses, a bamboo purse - so many stunning purses to look at. After perusing the purses, everyone settled down to a delicious Asian meal.
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It was then on to the presentation. Jennifer gave an extensive presentation covering everything from the history of Japan being rediscovered by the West, the influence of Japan on fashion and advertising, great import/export stores like Vantine's in New York, and amazing galleries like the one owned by Sigfried Bing which showcased Japanese artwork from Impressionist artists including Monet and Van Gogh.
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We learned some amazing things:
- Philadelphia hosted the first Japanese exhibit in the United States at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition. More than 100 years later, the city of Philadelphia still has a Japanese exhibit at the site of the Japanese pavilion at the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. It is the longest continuously running Japanese exhibit in the world.
- Monet went on to collect 231 Japanese prints, which greatly influenced his work and that of other practitioners of Impressionism, the movement he helped create.
- Van Gogh said "All my work is based to some extent on Japanese art."
- Sada Yacco, a Japanese geisha who toured and performed in the United States and Europe was considered a bigger star than Sara Bernhardt.
- Sessue Hayakawa was one of the highest paid actors in America on the same level as Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin.
This is just a sampling of some of the interesting things we learned, and we got to see hundreds of pictures of purses. What a great chance to see a unique influence on purse design and development. If you were unable to attend the Gathering, you can read through Jennifer's presentation by following the link at the end of our re-cap. If you did see the presentation, Jennifer has added in a few more pictures of recent acquisitions and additional information.
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Day two began with the APCS Purse Bazaar. Gorgeous purses and great deals were available for attendees. This year we had an added bonus: at the Bazaar Jennifer showcased the prizes we had for our end of the Gathering raffle. Yes, with hard work, Jennifer got a whole series of prizes for folks in our free raffle. These included several books, a Coach bag, a Tiffany charm and more!
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After the Bazaar, folks grabbed lunch where they could as we were due on our chartered bus to take us to the amazing home of Diane Goldfarb. Diane graciously opened up her gorgeous home to members so they could view her amazing collections.
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Where to begin? There were so many wonderful purses at Diane's home, she even had purses showcased in a guest restroom. Micro beaded purse fans were amazed when they saw Diane's bedroom devoted to micro beaded purses. She has a gigantic collection displayed across all the walls in the room.
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In one room she had a series of compacts and minaudieres that featured cats. Another room displayed Asian inspired purses. Diane also featured an exquisite collection of perfume bottles throughout her home. This amazing collection elicited compliments from everyone. It was a spectacular visit and a unique experience.
After the tour of Diane's home, attendees got a short break before we all boarded the bus for our night out on the Las Vegas Strip. The evening began with dinner at the Wicked Spoon buffet at the Cosmopolitan. Buffets and Las Vegas are synonymous, and the Wicked Spoon is one of the best in Vegas. The selection was amazing!
After dinner attendees had the choice of enjoying the Strip on their own or attending an amazing performance by Cirque du Soleil. We had 15 people attend KA and the show was spectacular. The Asian-inspired Cirque du Soleil experience fit perfectly with our Japanese presentation and the weekend.
It was a late night out; some were a little late making it to breakfast. But who could resist our morning agenda items? To kick things off, Sigrid Ivo, the Director of The Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam, Holland gave us a preview of the museum. If you didn't know already, the 2014 convention will be held in Amsterdam at the museum. Sigrid gave us a wonderful presentation and everyone was excited to see the schedule and photos of what to expect.
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After Sigrid's great talk, the audience was ready to board a plane to Amsterdam. Next up was our fabulous raffle. Everyone who attended the Gathering got their name entered in the drawing. We gave away great books, gift bags, perfume, a Cirque du Soleil purse, a Tiffany charm, a red Coach purse.
Finally it was time for a perennial favorite at APCS conventions - the Member Show and Tell. There were so many great stories, and to highlight a few:
Paula Higgins' pocket "purse" find on Ruby Lane. Initially listed as a "clothespin bag", Paula recognized it as a mid-18th century ladies' linen embroidered pocket. When she received it, she thought it might be a reproduction because it was too clean. Paula contacted the seller, who informed her that she had cleaned it by soaking it overnight in Biz bleach. Needless to say, we were all amazed it survived!
The Millers showcased another amazing purse from their collection. The beautiful Whiting and Davis purse features two adorable ducks on an enameled mesh body. It was in spectacular condition. Even better, they showcased the ad for the purse that featured Shirley Temple. Shirley Temple carried the same style purse in her 1935 film "Curly Top." It was her costume and purse (plus her popularity) that inspired Whiting and Davis to produce the purse for consumers.
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Show and Tell concluded with a great story from Kim Stonecipher. She showcased a purse with silver frame and beaded body. The purse belonged to a friend who got it from her grandmother. But the best part of the story was what was inside the purse. Kim opened the purse to reveal - a long braided ponytail! Perhaps the previous owner had it cut off when she chose to bob her hair? We'll never know, but it certainly was the most exciting (and revealing) story of the day and a great way to conclude the Show and Tell.
The gathering ended with thank you's, good byes, and exciting talk for next year. On to Amsterdam and our first international location for the convention!
Thank you to everyone who participated this year - hope to see you in Amsterdam!
You can download a copy of Jennifer's presentation by using the links below. If you were at the gathering and received a previous copy of the presentation, you may want to re-download this version. It includes 15 new photos, a number of which are micro beaded purses. It also corrects dates on some of the purses and provides makers/locations on many of the micro beaded purses. (Sabina Schuerenberg was very helpful in locating the purse makers. Sabina will be giving a presentation at the Amsterdam convention in 2014.)
High Resolution download (70 MB Download)
Low Resolution version (18 MB Download)
Las Vegas Gathering
The 2013 APCS Annual Gathering in Las Vegas.
