When it comes to bags the women's world goes crazy, and V&A in London has hit the mark, even overcoming the initial discomfort of multiple postponements due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Finally, the "Bags: Inside Out" exhibition opens to the public and is already almost sold out for the whole of 2021!

The Italian curator Lucia Savi spent two years selecting over 300 bags, choosing the most significant in terms of the evolution of the object in history, in step with the changes of the various eras. The bag was born in the sixteenth century and then evolved into suitcases and travel bags until it became an increasingly small, wearable, and intimate object.

The exhibition does not tell us the story of this object from its origins but explores its multiple functions and evolutions over time.
With the invention of banknotes, for example, was added a secret space where to keep money and put private effects, developing thinner and lighter shapes.

Each time new and original shapes made the bag become a precious Status Symbol object of celebrities, but also a vehicle for messages, implicit or declared. In history, Queen Elizabeth II for example considers it an essential accessory for every public appearance, synonymous with completeness and elegance, but also with comparison to ordinary people, as does Margaret Thatcher, who even called her bag "my scepter".

"Bags: Inside Out" exhibition goes from backpacks to shoulder bags, from very small cases to shoppers or iconic bags, such as the Kelly by Hermes, for example, dedicated to Grace Kelly or the Lady Dior, dedicated to Lady Diana, ending with the making of and the designing of it.
The exhibition is divided into sections, ranging and addressing unisex themes, intended for a female and male audience, up to the most contemporary ecological and sustainable solutions.

The path is full of references to famous designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Gucci, and many others, also including the part relating to raw materials, to the artisan and industrial assembly, to the creation of the accessories.

"'From a lavish 16th-century burse made for royalty to the everyday tote bag, this exhibition offers an understanding and insight into the function, status, design, and making of bags across the world and throughout history. these portable, yet functional accessories have long fascinated men and women with their dual nature that combines private and public. by exploring their continuing importance in our lives and as part of the history of design the exhibition highlights the V & A's mission to illuminate the past and inspire designers of the future ", said the curator Lucia Savi.

Bags: inside out
Victoria & Albert, Museum
Curator: Lucia Savi
Sponsor: Mulberry
Exhibition designers: Studio Mutt
Opening date: 12 December 2020, until 12 September 2021