Hippo Hooray for Bayan Hippo Bags

I have recently purchased two handbags from Bayan Hippo. The bags are beautifully made with attention to details such as large grommets and detachable straps or handles. I especially like the key fob that hangs inside the bag. No more digging for my keys (or losing them, which I'm prone to doing).

The bags I purchased are made with colorful cotton canvas, and the online shop offers a wide selection of colors. I chose the bright orange for my first bag (nicknamed the Glory Bag) and opted for a printed lining with pink apples. Very cute. I needed something orange for my trip to Amsterdam during Koninginnedag (Queen Beatrix of the Netherland's birthday, when everyone wears orange and drinks far too much Heineken) This was the perfect bag. Six interior pockets meant lots of places to put things. I was able to fit all my stuff (guide book, passport, wallet, iPod, make-up emergency kit, collapsible umbrella and an Olympus DSLR E620 with an additional telescopic lens) and not feel like I was carrying a suitcase under my arm. And being cotton canvas, the bag was easy to wash after my trip. Other fabric choices in the online shop are crushed velvet and corduroy.

I was so impressed with my first bag that I bought a second one. This time I chose a burgundy colored Poetry Bag with unbleached cotton lining. I was attracted to the ruching detail on both front and back, and the large aforementioned grommets. The color goes great with many of the things I wear and had resulted in many compliments.

A nice surprise with both my bags was that they each arrived in their own protective outer bag; a sort of shoe bag for . . .well . . handbags (which makes it a handbag for my handbag??) While these other bags are made simply and with lighter fabrics, they are a much appreciated gesture. Last night I was going to the opera and not wanting to wear my stilettos in the rain, I found one of the outer bags to come in very handy for carrying my extra footwear.

The bags are designed by Vildan and 'handmade in a smoke, pet and moist-free home with lots of fun and love'. The creator is a proud mother of twin girls. Like many fellow Etsians, she welcomes custom orders and requests.

I think if I were to purchase another bag from this designer, I would go for a more girlie and aptly named Frilly Bag and choose the soft pink crushed velvet. Or maybe another Poetry Bag, but this time in pale green.