Exhibition Opening on Saturday, 21 November 2020

Bags: Inside Out

  • Opening on Saturday, 21 November 2020

  • 2020 tickets available now

    2021 tickets to be announced

  • Gallery 40

  • £12.00

    Concessions apply.
    Advance booking is recommended.

Members visit free – join now

From rucksacks to despatch boxes, Birkin bags to Louis Vuitton luggage, Bags: Inside Out will explore the style, function, design and craftsmanship of the ultimate accessory.

Sponsored by

Mulberry is a British luxury lifestyle brand that was founded in 1971 in Somerset, where we continue manufacturing leather bags to this day. We employ a community of craftspeople across our two factories and are proud of the responsible approach we take in creating exceptional accessories that are truly made to last.

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Exhibition Highlights

Horse chestnut-shaped bag and purse
Horse chestnut bag and purse, by Emily Jo Gibbs, 1996, Britain. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Burse for the Great Seal of England
Burse for the Great Seal of England, 1558–1603, England. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Model with Lait de Coco Evening Bag
Model with Lait de Coco Evening Bag, Karl Lagerfeld, 2014. © Jason Lloyd Evans
opera bag and contents
Lemière, opera bag and contents, about 1910, Paris, France. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Despatch Box owned by Winston Churchill
Despatch Box owned by Winston Churchill, by John Peck & Son, London, about 1921. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Purple sequin bag
'Baguette' bag, by Fendi, 2000, Italy.
Chatelaine
Chatelaine, 1863-85, probably England. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Dowry bag (bhujki)
Dowry bag (bhujki), mid 20th century, Sindh, Pakistan. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
'Fabergé Egg' evening bag
'Fabergé Egg', evening bag, by Judith Leiber, 1983, US. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Mulberry 'Bayswater' and 'Alexa' bags
Mulberry 'Bayswater' and 'Alexa' bags from the private collections of Kate Moss and Alexa Chung, 2003 and 2010, England. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Events

V&A shop

V&A tote bag

V&A tote bag

V&A tote bag featuring a design for the decoration of the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) by Godfrey Sykes and Francis Fowke.

£15 Buy
Bags: Inside Out

Bags: Inside Out

Bags: Inside Out is a short history of bags, as told through 40 highlights from the V&A's spellbinding exhibition.

£10 Buy
Pink houndstooth tote bag

Pink houndstooth tote bag

Created exclusively for the V&A, this pattern is inspired by the designs found in our diverse fashion collection.

£5 Buy
Bags: Inside Out
Background image: Handbag, designed by Finnigans, 1926, England. Museum no. T.237 to B-1972. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London