The Secret Life of Bags
By The Holland Times Wednesday 03 November 2010, 11:11
In their new exhibit, the Amsterdam Museum of Bags and Purses reveals the mystery of what women keep in their bags. The show exposes what ladies value and what they need for a day at work or play.
I remember my mother's purse and how special it was to see her find the most useful, timely curiosities in its depths. From reticules to valises, women have always had stylish methods for carrying their most precious objects.
"I like the one with the matching umbrella," cries Rajshri, a raven-haired beauty. ''I've never seen anything like it!" Ragshri was just one of a handful of invitees at the opening of the newest exhibit at Amsterdam’s Museum of Bags and Purses. Titled For your Eyes Only: The Secrets in the Bag, the show launched on 14 September with elegance, sparkle and mouth-watering eye candy for all to enjoy.
As I gazed at the contents of purses from days gone by, I was shocked at the craftsmanship of materials like tortoiseshell, bone, chainmail, feathers and exotic leathers. Objects no larger than a few centimetres proved their usefulness and beauty, and each and every piece was displayed within a stylised context by Dutch designer, Wouter van der Tol.
Van Der Tol conceptualized the exhibit by taking inspiration from the fashion of each time period. Each of the exhibition’s showcases includes gorgeous renderings of women at the height of fashion carrying a bag of the time. The images - coupled with the actual contents of the bags - creates a complete picture of how vital bags are to the history of fashion.
While the museum displays over 1200 bags and purses, there are over 2800 other jewels in the fastidiously preserved private collection. Van der Tol is one of the few who has seen these treasures behind the scenes at the museum. When I asked him if it was as impressive as I thought, he winced, then smiled and told me, "We shouldn't talk about it, it would make you jealous." I can only imagine.
After gliding past all of the secret contents on show, I was interested to know what the ladies present had in their bags. A slim blond woman named Agnita confessed that her purse's most treasured content was her phone. ''It's my office," she giggled as she took a lime green iPhone out and waved it.
Times have changed, but the bag will always remain the same; a place for secrets and solutions for each and every woman.
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