I was really looking forward to being in my
hometown, Seoul, once I finished my sourcing trip to China, partially due to
the image below. I was given this image on my birthday last year by one of my
friends, Jin, who curated for the Simone Handbag Museum in Seoul.
Once she came back to London, she strongly
recommended that I visit the Simone Handbag Museum, saying ‘Nica, you should
definitely see some of this museum’s displays! There are lots of amazing
historical handbags that will inspire you!’
The Simone Handbag Museum is located in
Garosu-Gil, Gangnam district which is one of the most fashion-forward
neighborhoods in Seoul – yes, this is the area that you might have heard about
in Psy’s song.J This
street is occupied with a number of unique independent designer shops and
stylish cafes.
Even when I first came across the “Simone Handbag Museum” space in Garosu-gil, I was so amazed with it’s committed and timeless showcase – the building is shaped like a giant handbag!
I was eager to start my inspirational journey
through this museum, which has a collection of over 300 historical handbags
from the 15th century to recent decades. The 3rd floor was filled with sparkling
handbags made from the 1910s to the present. It was fascinating to see
exceptional designs throughout the decades, including iconic contemporary
handbag styles like the Hermes Kelly and the original Louis Vuitton cosmetic
case made for Wallis Simpson.
“I'm thinking balls are to men what purses are
to women.
It's just a little bag, but we feel naked in
public without it. [Carrie]”
- Sex and the City
I was especially impressed by the fourth floor which
displayed exquisitely made historical handbags from the 16th century
to the early 20th century. The most interesting pieces on this floor
for me were the bags from the Victorian era, which showed an extraordinary
level of craftsmanship.
Inner
view of fourth floor
The bags on this floor were
over 300 years old and still looked beautiful and even contemporarily
sophisticated at some points. Yes, styles come and go!
I absolutley loved seeing
those beautiful bags and getting inspiration for my next designs. I hope you
also enjoyed this glimpse of my hometown and one of its must-see attractions…
Love Nica Kim
xxx
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