Borja Iglesias and Aitor Ruibal’s controversial handbags to be displayed in LALIGA exhibition

LALIGA wanted to highlight the power of soccer to combat hatred in sport with ‘The Home of Football’, an ephemeral exhibition centered on the Dior and McQueen bags worn at a wedding by Real Betis Balompié players Borja Iglesias and Aitor Ruibal, with the aim of vindicating inclusivity on the pitch.

One of the pieces represented, which transforms those symbols of hate into works of art, was the one worn by Borja Iglesias: a Saddle Bag with ‘petites fleurs’, one of the most emblematic silhouettes of the French house that pays homage to the passion of ‘Monsieur Dior’ in multicolored white with an embroidery of flowers.

Another of the bags that will star in this exhibition will be the one worn by Aitor Ruibal, a black Alexander McQueen bag made of calfskin, which is part of the ‘Clutches‘ series.

LALIGA then enters the soccer stadium to dilute the masculinized archetypes associated with this disruptive display, continuing its fight against violence, racism and intolerance. In line with these values, during the players’ presentation of the bags, Borja Iglesias stressed the importance of creating safe spaces: “I believe that everyone has to feel free and comfortable with themselves while respecting others, and I also believe that we have to start generating that comfortable environment so that everyone can be who they want to be.

Aitor Ruibal, for his part, expressed his gratitude for the support they have received since the beginning of the criticism: “We don’t care about the comments, but there are people who suffer a lot and are repressed from not doing the things they would like to do. It is clear that we have all gone through the process of what people will say and we are privileged to have many people behind us, a support that many people do not have”.

The two iconic accessories will be on display on the second floor of LEGENDS, The Home of Football, in the space dedicated to LALIGA. In addition, and accompanying the display of the bags, a manifesto extolling the attitude of its players will be included in this special exhibition that will run from July 10 to August 1.