Inside Out...

Between us Queen Michelle and I have so many bags that we could probably have helped out the V&A with it’s latest exhibition - Bags: Inside Out.

On show at London's Victoria and Albert Museum until September of next year, the exhibition traces the evolution of bagsfrom the 16th century to the present day.

Over three distinct sections and nearly 300 exhibits, it explores the different functions that these carriers can serve, the ways they can communicate status and identity as well as the craftsmanship that goes into their making.

Along the way, designs by luxury fashion houses rub shoulders with personal items belonging to historical figures such as Winston Churchill and artefacts sourced everywhere from Pakistan to Burma.

The exhibition features over 250 objects spanning nearly 500 years, and seeks to explore the duality of bags as both private possession and public statement. The exhibition is laid out in two halves split between floors: the ground, entered via a tunnel designed to look like a zip, represents the cavernous bag interior, while the light and airy first floor space is the exterior.

Sadly the Museum is closed right now. Just like most of the British Isles.

We are in ever deeper lockdowns because of the discovery of the new strain of the virus. Over 40 countries and counting have closed their borders to us.

At this rate, I’m thinking that when Santa comes he might just drop some bombs and sink us to the bottom of the ocean, to save us dealing with covid and the utter shit show that is Brexit.

Queen Marie

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