Judith Leiber

A woman of grit and grace is how New Delhi designer Suneet Varma remembers Judith Leiber. The 97-year-old handbag designer, known for beaded minaudières that found space not just in stores but museums for their artistic vision, died last Saturday at her home in Springs, New York, a hamlet in East Hampton. For Varma, the loss is deep. He is the Indian couturier to have worked with Leiber's luxury brand from 2009 to 2012, and then again in 2014, when he designed a bestseller, The Empress clutch.