No, we have not taken a trip in a time machine, nor have we suddenly misinterpreted what we see in the mirror!
This is of course the opening line of the song "The Girl From Ipanema," which was so popular back in the 1960's. In Hanoi, Ipa-Nima is a shop that features custom designed handbags in a signature style. The founder is a very rich lawyer from Hong Kong whose husband is an even richer Australian corporate executive.
The rich do truly get richer! Much like the family from Coach who sold the handbag business for a few hundred million then made a second fortune in artisanal cheese, Christina Yu is raking it in from her shop in Han Tuyen Street.
We have visited a few times over the years but Carol felt that the price, even though much lower than Kate Spade or Alfred Brendel bags, was still quite a bit more than she usually spends for a purse, so all we did was browse.
Finally, Carol figured that she needed a classy bag to carry when she wears her designer outfits from Vu Thu Giang. We are not nor have we ever been shoppers, yet it gets easier and easier to buy beautiful things. Since the prices are still not so high by Western standards, the more you buy, the more you save!
After eating brunch at the Melia, neither of us would have been able to fit into any clothing, so handbag shopping was all we could do.
Carol ran into several UNIS parents at brunch and also saw one at the Ipa-Nema shop. Ira chatted
merrily with the sales staff while Carol narrowed the field down to two bags. Finally she picked a lovely gray number with red trim and flashy designs. It should go well with her other recent purchases.
The price was quite reasonable plus we get the 10% AmCham discount so actually the more we buy....Well you get the idea.
