Simone Brenner’s Artisan Button Bags: Wearable Whimsy, Collectible Art
Since 1992, Dr. Simone Brenner has delighted collectors and art lovers with her one-of-a-kind button bags—vibrant collages of vintage buttons, hand-sewn onto handbags, waist packs, clutches, and evening purses. These wearable works of art blend historical craftsmanship with bold personal style.
What began as a way to complement her growing Bakelite bangle collection quickly became an artistic passion. Each bag features over 100 buttons, often encrusting both sides and even the edges. Designs are guided by the shape of the bag or the character of the buttons themselves. A retired college educator and lifelong collector, Simone sources her materials from antique fairs, flea markets, and private collections. Her buttons span eras from Victorian to Art Deco to Modern.
Dr. Simone Brenner’s one-of-a-kind button bags fuse vintage whimsy with collectible craftsmanship, featuring a plethora of hand-sewn antique buttons and brooches on every unique design. Delve into the collection here!
Simone’s bags have been exhibited as both functional accessories and fine art—hung on walls, displayed in curio cabinets, or proudly carried. Each unique creation reflects her deep connection to the materials. For her, this isn’t just art—it’s memory, history, and joy, stitched into a dazzling, collectible form.
For the discerning eye, hidden treasures await throughout Lots 139–152—each revealing Brenner’s artistry in the details. Remarkable buttons enhance the allure of her designs, including a wealth of “book piece” examples pictured in The Big Book of Buttons by Elizabeth Hughes and Marion Lester—making them especially desirable to collectors. Lot 141 features an exceptional range: Kate Greenaway buttons, Aesop’s Fables, sterling silver cameos, cut steel, Art Nouveau brass, and Art Deco designs. Other highlights include hand-painted porcelain, applied brass over mother-of-pearl, a rare vegetable ivory button depicting a person kneeling with a sword, a man with an alligator, a knight with a swan, and a large Venus with Cupid rendered in silver on raised metal. Lot 144 includes standout Victorian black glass buttons, as well as paperweight, kaleidoscope, molded intaglio, and pressed Czech glass examples, along with exceptional buttons featuring mother-of-pearl, animal, insect, and bird motifs. Lot 147 presents an array of Bakelite and early plastic buttons: glittered, carved, geometric, toggle styles, and classic apple juice hues. Each lot offers a unique window into the artistry, history, and miniature storytelling of vintage button design.