The Enduring Allure of the Handbag: An Interview with Exhibition Curator Sylvie Marot
A recent article on FranceInfo Mode, published on September 13th, 2025, at 13:48, delves into the multifaceted significance of the handbag through an insightful interview with Sylvie Marot, the curator of the exhibition titled “Sac, sac, sac.” The conversation beautifully articulates how this seemingly simple accessory transcends its practical function to become a profound reflection of societal evolution, rituals, and aesthetic sensibilities across centuries.
Sylvie Marot highlights the handbag’s remarkable journey, emphasizing its enduring presence as an object that is simultaneously utilitarian, symbolic, and aesthetic. This tripartite nature, she explains, has allowed the handbag to adapt and persist through diverse historical periods, offering a unique lens through which to understand the customs and rites of different societies.
The exhibition, “Sac, sac, sac,” promises to explore this rich history, showcasing how the design, materials, and contents of handbags have spoken volumes about their owners and the times they lived in. From ancient pouches carrying essential tools to the meticulously crafted designer pieces of today, each iteration of the handbag tells a story.
Marot’s perspective underscores that the handbag is far more than just a vessel for our belongings. It serves as a personal statement, a marker of social status, and even a repository of intimacy. The items we choose to carry within our bags can reveal our occupations, our aspirations, our secrets, and our daily routines. This intimate connection between a person and their bag is a recurring theme in the interview, suggesting that the exhibition will offer a deeply personal and relatable exploration of fashion history.
Furthermore, the aesthetic evolution of handbags mirrors broader artistic and cultural movements. As societal tastes and fashion trends have shifted, so too have the shapes, sizes, and embellishments of the bags we carry. This visual chronicle allows us to trace the ebb and flow of design innovation and the changing ideals of beauty.
The interview with Sylvie Marot provides a compelling preview of the “Sac, sac, sac” exhibition, inviting us to reconsider the humble handbag not merely as a fashion accessory, but as a significant cultural artifact. Her insights promise an exhibition that is both intellectually stimulating and aesthetically captivating, offering a unique perspective on the history of humanity through the enduring presence of this indispensable object.
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FranceInfo Mode published ‘INTERVIEW. “Objet utilitaire, symbolique et esthétique, le sac a traversé les siècles, reflété les rites et coutumes d’une société ” : Sylvie Marot, commissaire de l’exposition “Sac, sac, sac”‘ at 2025-09-13 13:48. Please write a detailed article about this news in a polite tone with relevant information. Please reply in English with the article only.