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Why purses?
It seems a simple enough question for hip Costa Mesa handbag and shoe designers Mia Manyer and Jennifer Perkins.
Manyer sighs and struggles to find the right words.
She picks up one of their purses, The Deluxe. The sleek bag is made with teal green vinyl, the same material used in 1950s cars and diner booths. It has four chrome bullet feet, like the ones found on old hot rod license plate holders. It's lined with a shimmery, silver vintage fabric.
"This is why," she said, showing off the bag. "It's the closest I'll ever come to being an artist. I can't paint. But to me, this is my paint and brush."
The details are in the handbags, inspired by 1950s cultural icons such as Bettie Page, vintage cars or dirty martinis. The women get ideas in part from watching old films starring classic beauties such as Audrey Hepburn.
Each handbag-there are 14 styles-tells its own story and is numbered for authenticity. Buyers even register their bags with Manyer and Perkins.
The Fury, a pair of pointy-toed shoes and matching handbag, represent high rollers of 1950s Las Vegas (Perkins' favorite haunt). Its hangtag reads "sharp wit, sharp edged and always full of style."
The Sands, a purse, features original dice, playing cards and casino chips from the former Sands in Las Vegas.
There's also the Sweet Tart, Dirty Martini, Bloody Mary and Double Down, to name a few.
"We like the idea of taking the old and revamping it and making it funky," Perkins said. "We don't just look at it as a handbag."
Their company, Revamp Productions, pays "homage to the...