Show Us Your Purse
■ Who? Jennifer Cornthwaite, co-owner of Emergency Arts and The Beat Coffeehouse
■ Location: The Beat Coffeehouse
■ Handbag: Marc Jacobs oversized shoulder bag
■ Are handbags status symbols? No way! You can never judge a book by its cover, or a woman by her handbag. It's just a pretty thing that somehow gets acquired through time, gifts, hard work, sales or eBay. One should never assume that just because someone blew $2,000 on a handbag that they have $10 in the bank or that they are in some higher class. Some of us just are patient and wait for good things to come along.
■ What does this bag say about you? I usually like things structured, square. So, most of my bags are structured and that says a lot. I'm a hard-core Virgo and am always hard on myself, operate better with a schedule and like things without a lot of extra embellishment -- just the classics.
■ If someone found your bag and looked inside, what would they think of you? Maybe that I'm not as organized as people think and I work a lot.
■ What's the most important item you've carried in your bag? My husband's wedding band I got at a flea market in Barcelona. I had to carry that thing for a week, halfway around the world, knowing it was one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable.
■ What's the strangest item you've carried in your bag? Sometimes you can find a hammer and nails, screws and things if I'm building something.
■ Tell us about the first special bag you owned. My nana bought me a sort of Jackie O-inspired black Coach handbag for my high school graduation. I still have it and I adore it.
■ Knockoffs: Love 'em or hate 'em? Stealing art from people, substandard fabric, icky linings, contributing to an illegal practice -- no, thank you!
■ Image is ... only what people see. It isn't real.
■ What's in your bag? 1. Herbally grounded vitamins (the greens save me), 2. Korres Body Butter and Hand Lotion (in the desert I need all the moisture I can get), 3. My Planner Pad (it will change your life), 4. A small clutch for nighttime (just in case), 5. Bursts by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi (I'm never bored waiting in line), 6. iPhone (my husband calls it my best friend).
