In the Bag

By Carrie Soucy, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, June 1, 2003

The celebration to introduce Kathrine Baumann's diamond handbags may have been cancelled out of respect for the troops who went into combat the same day, but the handbags—designed in connection with several jewelry manufacturers—did make it to the 75th Academy Awards.

The Beverly Hills designer teamed with jewelry manufacturers Molina, Kwiat, Andrew Meyer, and Hikari to create precious-stone-adorned soft-sided bags. The bags were carried by Oscar nominees Queen Latifah of Chicago and Kathy Bates of About Schmidt, along with former Oscar winners Geena Davis and Marcia Gay Harden and first-time nominee Nia Vardalos.

The highlight of the collection was the "The Diamond Jubilee" bag, carried by Best Supporting Actress nominee Queen Latifah—a $2.9 million bag commemorating the first-ever Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. A 20-ct. canary diamond ensconced in the same fabric as Queen Latifah's dress, coupled with a three-stone "past, present, and future" diamond clasp, completed the one-of-a-kind minaudiére.