by Ayoka Lucas
The Charleston City Paper
Originally Published on 4/9/03

This weekend was crammed full of events including everything from fashion shows and festivals to the Family Circle Cup and the Cooper River Bridge Run. I thought I would be clever and avoid the masses by attending some low-key events. The joke was on me when I walked into the Center for Women’s “It’s In The Bag” Second Annual Purse Auction on Thursday evening to find wall-to-wall folks outside and inside. It took me almost 10 minutes just to get past the front door.

The reception was at Fine Art Collector Gallery (Fountain Walk at Aquarium Wharf) and featured 81 incredibly imaginative handbags designed by celebrity women in the Lowcountry. Bids started at $50 and a few sold in the ballpark of $300. After about 15 minutes of being stepped on, bumped, and elbowed, I decided to head outside for some breathing room and good conversation. I posed for a Post and Courier pic and talked to the girls.

Popular purses of the night were Yin Yang by Dixie Dunbar, The Flapper Purse by Renee Kahn, Frida Kahlo by Tami Cardnella, and Cover Girls by Charleston Mag to name a few. One of my personal favorites was Word of Mouth by Sunny Rakestraw partly because it featured a small quote from yours truly. How vain! All in all, this fund-raiser was a huge success and not one scuffle took place over a purse. But I am guilty for shoving my way to the food table.