If I had 2600 Euros to Spare: Tracey Emin Travel Bag

Living_musthaves_tracyeminb_2 Art

This bag cost 2600 Euros. It’s a special edition travel bag designed by Artist Tracey Emin and reproduced by Longchamp. One of the sides reads "I have been in love all over the world."

I really love it.

If I had 2600 Euros to spare I would grab it right now, and keep it with me forever, even if it’s totally the wrong size to take on the plane as hand carry and far to fragile to check in. I couldn’t think of a cooler bag for me to carry with words "International Woman Me Every time."

Sadly I don’t. I actually got to touch one in Bologna Italy on the main street a month ago tomorrow. I was walking down the street and saw it on a really high shelf through the shop display. I just ran into the shop (it had a lock that the woman in the front has to press before she could let you in.) I just kept pointing at the bag, and she told G that it was "2600 Euros" and I said I don’t care I just wanted to see it. She brought it down, I played with it for a bit, turned it over a few times, touched it for a bit and sadly had to return it to where it belongs which is to be sold to someone who can afford it.

It was one of the biggest highlights of a trip especially because I read about it on the plane on the way to Milan and I looked so lovingly at the photo knowing I would never have a chance to see a real one.

I wonder who bought it and if they would like it as much as me, and whether they would use it or keep it as a collector’s item and a piece of art. If I had that kind of money I would so use it. I would take it everywhere and bang it around just like any other bag, because this bag is about being a travelling chick and falling in love, and one should use it just for that.

My friend said I could make one exactly the same which I could put my own sayings on it. I could, but it would be a knock off. It would be an imitation of the Tracey Emin bag that I can’t afford.

I think that’s why she’s cool. She thought of it first.

Tracey Emin Interview

Published by Yan Sham-Shackleton

Yan Sham-Shackleton is a Hong Kong writer who lives in Los Angeles. This is her old blog Glutter written mostly in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2007. Although it was a personal blog, Yan focused a lot on free speech issues and democratic movement in Hong Kong. She moved to the US in 2007. View more posts

6 thoughts on “If I had 2600 Euros to Spare: Tracey Emin Travel Bag”

i think you are well entitled to do Yan merchandise. Emin’s work is about exposing her life in all its prosaic mundanity and you are doing the same with your blog. Whether or not its art or a blantant cashing in of a hot name is debatable.

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I think it’s awesome.
I am not sure if a blotched up abortion where she ends up holding a dead fetus of the twin that died or suicidal depression is that mudane.
In fact she’s one of the few “confessional” artists who actually has something to confess.

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i do not mean to trivialize her life or even that of yours. What i am referring to is her technique of making public what is both extraordinary to the individual, yet merely commonplace for the society as a whole. Isn’t this what is life all about? What is particularly poignant to oneself may simply be inefffectual to the rest of mankind. I would expect the life of everybody that has ever lived to maturity to have a fascinating story to tell, and it is up to the individual to share it with the rest of the world.

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I can’t really see what makes this bag worth 2600 euros, or even worth having. Apart from it being a ‘limited edition’ (which is usually marketing speak for ‘artificial price inflation’).

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