United Kingdom 
Spain Bags: Inside Out
Imagine our excitement at learning that the prestigious V&A museum was hosting an exhibition purely on bags. We knew we had to go!
Featuring Jane Birkin’s Birkin, a Louis Vuitton trunk from 1900 and a huge collection of the IT bags throughout the last century, we were in handbag heaven. ‘Bags: Inside Out’ explores the style, function, design and craftsmanship of the ultimate accessory.
The exhibition opens on bags throughout the ages, their origins and the materials used to craft these pieces of history. Some items were over a hundred years old - talk about vintage!
The highlight of this collection was a Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk from 1900. Despite the test of time, this classic piece had us in awe. The adventures this trunk alone had is breathtaking.
The next area was more contemporary, exploring the handbag as a modern fashion piece and every socialites must have. We saw Fendi baguettes, a Gucci Jackie-O and the comeback queen herself - the Dior saddle bag. In the centre, you can see an Alexa bag donated from the private collection of Alexa Chung herself.
Of course the most exciting piece for us was Jane Birkin's Birkin bag. There has been some controversy of late between Jane Birkin and the Hermès brand. However, in 2015, Vogue declared that "Jane Birkin 'is satisfied by the measures taken by Hermès' after an animal rights group made claims.
Despite the back and forth, this will always be the original piece of arm candy.
Other notable pieces in the modern collection were a Gucci bamboo and a classic 2.55 Chanel. Despite missing a Chanel featuring the mademoiselle lock, we were all very excited to see the bag we would all come to love as the reissue.
Moving upstairs in the museum, we were led to an area dedicated to the design and crafting of handbags. With two members of our team with an extensive history in repair and design, we were in our element.
Overall, we loved this celebration of all things handbags. It's a treat for anyone passionate about the history behind them as well as the future ahead.
The exhibition runs until 16th January 2022 with tickets released every Tuesday at just £12. If you’re a handbag lover (like us), this is the perfect day out.
