International Woman
Suitcase
2004 (made)
2004 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 2004, the French handbag-maker Longchamp launched their internationally recognised line of ‘Le Pliage’ bags, a practical, lower-priced handbag collection made from inexpensive materials such as nylon. To celebrate the line's 10-year anniversary, Longchamp asked artist Tracey Emin to collaborate on a collection. Emin’s art is highly confessional and draws upon her life experiences in a variety of media that include story-telling, drawing, filmmaking, installation, painting, neon, photography and appliquéd textiles. Emin included some of her favoured techniques to create the Longchamp line, including destruction and reconstruction of textiles, patchwork, embroidery and painting.
Emin’s Longchamp bags were linked to a narrative she had crafted. In Emin’s story, an ‘International Woman’ travelled from one city to another, in search of an ‘International Love’ with an ‘International Man’.
Longchamp produced this suitcase in a limited edition of two hundred, each with a personal connection to the artist. Each copy carried a rosette upon which Emin drew the Longchamp logo. Each rosette also included a handwritten name of a street, city, or hotel which reminded the artist of a romantic moment or encounter from her own life. This bag's location of inspiration was Canterbury.
Emin’s Longchamp bags were linked to a narrative she had crafted. In Emin’s story, an ‘International Woman’ travelled from one city to another, in search of an ‘International Love’ with an ‘International Man’.
Longchamp produced this suitcase in a limited edition of two hundred, each with a personal connection to the artist. Each copy carried a rosette upon which Emin drew the Longchamp logo. Each rosette also included a handwritten name of a street, city, or hotel which reminded the artist of a romantic moment or encounter from her own life. This bag's location of inspiration was Canterbury.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | International Woman (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Printed cotton and wool felt |
| Brief description | Suitcase, wool, cotton, leather, 'International Woman' by Tracey Emin for Longchamp, France, 2004. |
| Physical description | This rectangular-shaped fabric suitcase features a patchwork design of printed floral cotton and pink and maroon-coloured wool felt. It has brown wool felt handles and features a ribbon trimmed cotton rosette at the top right-hand corner. Letters cut from wool felt are arranged to form words and phrases and are sewn onto the side, front and back panels. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Limited edition |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Longchamp and supported by the Friends of the V&A |
| Historical context | In 2004 French handbag-maker Longchamp commissioned British artist Tracey Emin to design a group of bags. Her suitcase entitiled 'International Woman' is one of a limited edition of two hundred. |
| Summary | In 2004, the French handbag-maker Longchamp launched their internationally recognised line of ‘Le Pliage’ bags, a practical, lower-priced handbag collection made from inexpensive materials such as nylon. To celebrate the line's 10-year anniversary, Longchamp asked artist Tracey Emin to collaborate on a collection. Emin’s art is highly confessional and draws upon her life experiences in a variety of media that include story-telling, drawing, filmmaking, installation, painting, neon, photography and appliquéd textiles. Emin included some of her favoured techniques to create the Longchamp line, including destruction and reconstruction of textiles, patchwork, embroidery and painting. Emin’s Longchamp bags were linked to a narrative she had crafted. In Emin’s story, an ‘International Woman’ travelled from one city to another, in search of an ‘International Love’ with an ‘International Man’. Longchamp produced this suitcase in a limited edition of two hundred, each with a personal connection to the artist. Each copy carried a rosette upon which Emin drew the Longchamp logo. Each rosette also included a handwritten name of a street, city, or hotel which reminded the artist of a romantic moment or encounter from her own life. This bag's location of inspiration was Canterbury. |
| Bibliographic reference | Bags V&A Exhibition (Project)
Bags: Inside Out (2020) Lucia Savi, V&A Publishing, pg 38
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.30:1-2005 |
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| Record created | July 10, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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