Here's What British Women Keep in Their Handbags

"I hesitated a lot before taking the commission, mainly because I wasn't sure I would be able to pull in a varied enough bunch of women. Then I thought, 'I'd better challenge myself a little.'

I started by asking women I knew to let me have a peek inside their bags. That was easy enough, and it helped naturally expand the circle to acquaintances and friends of friends. A lot of people didn't seem to get the concept even though they had agreed to taking part, while some just said 'No, my bag is full of crap'. Which made me think, 'If your bag is full of crap, why are you still carrying it around?'

On the whole, most people were on board until I asked them for an ID photo – a couple of women even backed out at this stage. This experience has taught me that women between the ages of 20 and 35 are far more ashamed of their ID photos than anything else they own. On the contrary, the older ladies did not think twice before showing me whatever I asked for – they didn't seem that bothered about making a good impression. They were also more likely to be carrying something bizarre, and less likely to carry make-up.