Museum of Bags and Purses exhibits Alex Schrijvers’ bags

The Museum of Bags and Purses will show the bags of the Flemish designer Alex Schrijvers from 2 November till 9 January 2011. Schrijvers’ bags are guaranteed 100% Belgian: the leather originates from Flanders and the bags have either been made by himself or in his atelier in Brussels. The museum’s aim is to put this self-taught Flemish designer in the spotlight, because of his exceptional combination of leather types, forms, techniques and colours.

The bags of Alex Schrijvers are made from exclusive leather types such as ostrich, stingray, salamander, python, crocodile and red deer. The majority of the leather comes from Belgium and the more exotic specimens are purchased in Belgium. The use of such a diverse range of leather types results in unique designs, ensuring the timeless character of both quality and design. The bags in his latest collection are named after the various cities that inspired the design.

This is the first time that the Museum of Bags and Purses is highlighting a Flemish designer, and the aim is to show that a fully Belgian product can have international allure purely through its design, form and finishing. Sigrid Ivo, director of the Museum of Bags and Purses: “What makes Alex Schrijvers so unique is that he produces such high quality without having had any formal training. I’m also impressed by what he has achieved with his designs in just six years. Made in Belgium really means that the product has been made in Belgium, from A toZ by a Flemish designer.”

Alex Schrijvers
Alex Schrijvers is self-educated, having learned to make bags in his parents’ garage, where he spent day and night experimenting with leather and sewing machines. He felt that taking formal lessons would only act to inhibit his creativity. This lack of training has at the same time served to shape his career; because his access to suppliers and their networks was severely restricted, he was forced to look for new ways of transferring his ideas from paper to an actual finished product. As a result, his collection grew organically, as it were, with each new creation. Having produced his first handbag in 2004, Alex Schrijvers is now in his fifth year as a full-time designer of bags.

The Museum of Bags and Purses
The Museum of Bags and Purses exhibits the history of the western bag from the Middle Ages through to the present day. The unique collection celebrates the bag in all its forms, functions, materials and trimmings. Each bag has its own story to tell about socio-economic developments, styles in the applied arts and fashions through the centuries. In addition to the permanent, historical collection, themed exhibitions are held regularly, and the museum organises exhibitions of contemporary designers from home and abroad. The Museum of Bags and Purses is the only museum for bags in Europe and is the biggest of its kind in the world