An entire exhibition dedicated to bags? Seems a bit exorbitant considering how dressing up and going out has been rendered redundant in the times of quarantine and only grocery shop visits. But then many would argue that this is all the more reason to revive our love for the accessory that was once a part of our daily lives, by exploring the significance of it beyond its utility. 

That is exactly what ‘Bags: Inside Out’ the latest exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London intends to do. Starting from December 12, the exhibition will feature 300 handbags and journey us through their historical, social and sartorial significance. Originally due to open in April, like many events, it was derailed due to the pandemic.

 

 

 

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In a vivid and quite bewitching ode to art, history, design and fashion, the exhibit showcases a range of selected handbags from the 16th century to the present day. The items for the carefully curated exhibition took over two years. Some of these were sourced from the private collections of celebrities such as Kate Moss and Alexa Chung.

 

 

 

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The bags have been put under three sections - function, status and identity, and design in making. These include but are not limited to military rucksacks, Louis Vuitton travel trunks, the Fendi Baguette seen on Sarah Jessic Parker in Sex and the City and Pakistani dowry bags. It also houses former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s despatch box. 

The museum is also going to be home to bags donated by the world's biggest fashion houses including Fendi, Prada and Karl Lagerfeld.

 

 

 

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The exhibition will allow a peek at the intricate craftsmanship that goes into making a bag. The V&A was successful in acquiring the original Hermes bag on loan from a private collector made famously for the English model and singer Jane Birkin in 1984. It can sell anywhere between £10,000 and £150,000, putting such bags on a pedestal, and a status that is no less than of an artifact.