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Black Tie
International: Now Trending With Alison Minton
Bags in Wicker, Straw & Palm |
![](../society_2020_february/alison_minton.jpg) |
Now Trending
With Alison Minton
Bags in Wicker, Straw & Palm
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A
summer staple for eons (yes, the trend began in ancient
Mesopotamia and Egypt) the modern era of wicker and straw
bags was ushered in during the mid-twentieth century by
celebrities and socialites who carried them during luxurious
summer getaways. Wicker novelty bags were also in vogue in
the shapes of monkeys, frogs, fish and more. By the 70’s
straw bags were mainstreaming for beach outings and
vacations from coast to coast. I remember my mother had a
large straw bag that she bought while on vacation that
became her beach tote. |
![](../Society_2020_July/alison_romina.jpg) |
J. McLaughlin Romina Wicker CrossBody Bag. J. McLaughlin's
many philanthropic partnerships include COVID-19 relief |
![](../Society_2020_July/alison_victoria.jpg) |
J. McLaughlin
Victoria Wicker Bag in Color Block. J. McLaughlin's many
philanthropic efforts include making and donating masks to
front line responders |
![](../Society_2020_July/alison_erin.jpg) |
J. McLaughlin
Victoria Wicker Bag in Color Block. J. McLaughlin's many
philanthropic efforts include making and donating masks to
front line responders |
![](../Society_2020_July/alison_into_the_woods.jpg) |
Into The Woods
Montauk Meadow Bag made by artisans in Indonesia & South
America from ethically sourced palm |
![](../Society_2020_July/alison_into_the_woods_tropical.jpg) |
Into The Woods Tropical Jungle Bag made by artisans in
Indonesia & South America from ethically sourced palm |
![](../Society_2020_July/alison_navy.jpg) |
KAZI Navy Grass Tote Bag made by African artisans from
sustainable materials supports fair wages.jpeg |
![](../Society_2020_July/alison_monkey.jpg) |
My wicker monkey bag, now vintage |
At the tender age
of six I was given a monkey shaped wicker bag by a model in
a fashion show my mother attended in St. Thomas. All the
models were carrying them during the show and afterwards
they stepped off the runway and handed them to members of
the audience. That bag sat on a shelf in my closest for
twenty-five years until I carried it to an event at the
Central Park Zoo where the late, famous photographer Bill
Cunningham photographed it for his column in The New York
Times, ultimately inspiring me to research wicker novelty
bags and to collect a zoo of them, many of which Mr.
Cunningham photographed over the years.
Given my fun
memories with wicker bags and the easygoing summer vibe they
connote, I look forward to taking them out of my closet
annually and switching up my bag wardrobe. This spring I
was excited to see that wicker bags were forecast to be
popular for the summer season. I have been frequently using
a large straw tote bag from the Lilly Pulitzer for Target
collection from a number of years ago that I scored by
stalking Target’s online store the moment the collection was
released. It makes me feel like I’m headed to the beach,
even though the closest I’ve gotten to a body of water
during this pandemic is in my own tea tree oil and lavender
scented bathtub. Even if you are not out East in the
Hamptons or vacationing in Nantucket during this abysmal
year of COVID-19, you can still savor a bit of the season
with the wicker (and her close cousins straw, palm & grass)
beauties showcased above. There’s plenty of
summer left to indulge and
everyone wins by drawing one of these straws.
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