RENEE OGATA, COLLECTOR

A self-professed "handbag-a-holic," 'Aina Haina resident Ogata has more than 200 handbags in a closet that was specially designed to shelve her collection.

She changes bags every day to coordinate with her outfit.

"It's a sickness, I know," Ogata said with a chuckle. She also changes wallets.

Among her most iconic bags are a Louis Vuitton Murakami bag and a Lawner of London bag by the company that makes bags for Queen Elizabeth. Her most recent passion is a Bottega Veneta crocodile bag her husband gave her.

Ogata said she is slowing down with her handbag collection because she does not agree with the concept of the "it bag."

"It's unfortunate that young girls seem to feel they have to have the it bag to define them," she said. "They all save up to spend money on the same bag."

Her advice: Bags like to be used. Be sure to take them out of the closet and give them some fresh air every few months. Leather, especially, will become brittle and won't last long unless it's handled.

MALIA KAMISUGI, ORTHODONTIST

On the other end of the spectrum is Malia Kamisugi, an orthodontist, water woman and mother of 7-week-old son, Aka.

Her handbag has never been an important accessory or a style statement to her, and now her diaper bag has taken on far more importance than her handbag.

The practical mom is the owner of one handbag, a "ratty old J. Crew bag" given to her by her mother-in-law.

If we were to dump out the contents today, we would find an appointment book, a checkbook, wallet and a book — "Side by Side," by John Ramsay Miller.

SARA OKA, CURATOR OF "IN THE BAG"

Oka's favorite bag is a "fish market" bag she bought at the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo in 1985. It's a sturdy woven rectangular bamboo basket with plastic rope handles.

"I greedily bought two, one which nested in the other," said Oka, who is the textile collection manager at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. "These are usually tied to the front ends of bicycles and people use them to haul things home from the market." Women are constantly asking to buy them from her, but Ogata won't part with them.

ANITA PIILAI-ALLEN, PHYSICIAN

As a gynecologist with a busy practice and four active children going in all directions, Kahala resident Anita Piilai-Allen has to be organized and focused all the time. So does her handbag. In addition, she has a history of neck and back problems, so just any big bag won't do; she needs an orthopedically correct bag.

Her favorite? A Coach backpack. "It's roomy and compartmentalized so I can get in and out of it quickly," Piilai-Allen said. "I just can't live with these frou frou bags that many women love."

What's in her bag? A little pocket for a lipstick and powder "A girl's gotta have 'em, and quick," she said. Also a cell phone, wallet, checkbook, hairbrush, Advil, ChapStick and a camera, because with four kids they are always doing something she wants to preserve.

LO KAIMULOA, OWNER OF RICHES KAHALA ACCESSORIES

Lo Kaimuloa, who has been a handbag buyer for 20 years, is always on the lookout for what women want in a handbag. Her current challenge is to find a bag that will appeal to all age groups. In 2006, younger women "are all about trends and having the it bag," Kaimuloa explained. "As women get older they're more concerned about their shoulder and how the bag feels and how it will travel. They're looking for one bag that will do and be everything."

It's a challenge to find one bag that will do everything, however. Kaimuloa recommends finding a small walletlike bag that can be placed into a larger bag and taken out when it's time to go out at night.

Big bags are definitely in right now. Among her current hot sellers: bags by Kale, Elliot Lucca and Tano.

BLISS LAU, HANDBAG DESIGNER (BLISSLAU.COM)

Lau says her collection this season is "all about hobos, tiny disco bags, and chain." A quick Q&A with this notable designer:

Q. Why did you choose to design handbags?

A. Because I couldn't chose between fashion and product design. I love wearable art, and handbags and accessories are the perfect mix.

Q. What significance do handbags play in a woman's life?

A. Her companion, identity, safety and solution.

Q. What constitutes the "perfect" handbag?

A. This changes with each woman. I think the perfect handbag designer designs for a variety of different people, therefore solving most women's need for the "perfect handbag." To me. the perfect handbag changes on a daily basis! But I can promise you to offer something for every occasion and time of day.