Ipa Nima Bag Store in Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi Ipa Nima Bag Store

Ipa Nima Bags in Hanoi are one of the highlights for women visiting Northern Vietnam, and this article covers how my partner and I went in search of exclusive handmade bags around town.

She had heard of the brand a while ago, but Ipa-Nima in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is just too pricey with limited and out-of-seasonal collections; therefore, since we were heading to Hanoi, we decided to allocate half a day to source out the Ipanima Flagship Store in Hanoi.

Ipa Nima Bag Store in Hanoi, Vietnam

The history of the bags goes back to 1995 when a lawyer named Christina Yu from Hong Kong moved to Hanoi to be with her practising husband.

Facing tough times as a litigator here, she decided to pursue a little secret dream of hers to create a business in the fashion area.

After one and a half years there, she finally came through with the brand Ipa-Nima and is rated as one of the most talented designers in the world today. Her bags are found worldwide, and she has celebrities and politicians as her customers.

Ipanima Shop in Hanoi
Ipa Nima storefront.

We printed some information from the Internet on the whereabouts of the store in Hanoi, and there were many different locations.

Out of three prints, two of them showed one address which was just nearby the Hanoi Towers. Grabbing a taxi from the Old Quarter, we made our way there only to find no such place.

Maybe the place was closed, we thought, but then it was a weekday, so I asked one of the shops nearby only to be told that they had moved a few years ago and did not know where they were currently.

Some help the Internet was - it was back to looking at the printout and deciding on the following known address, 34 Han Thuyen Road.

After another 10 minutes of driving around the area, the pink colonial building stood out like a club of some sort. It had to be the place I told Lilian and stopped the taxi.

Hanoi Ipa Nima Shop
The main entrance to the Ipa-nima Store in Hanoi.

Standing in front of the pink and pastel-coloured colonial building, the main entrance looked like a grand walkway with sheer rich fabrics draped to the ceiling and a little chandelier hanging in the middle.

Window displays on both sides show the latest collection of Ipa Nima Bags, while the baroque-styled decorations were tastefully done. Without hesitation, Lilian was already inside while I was still in awe, looking around the entrance.

Ipa Nima Store Hanoi Photo
Inside the Ipa-Nima Flagship Store in Hanoi

The Hanoi heat was unbearable on that hot afternoon, and upon walking in, I could feel the intensity of the cool air conditioning inside. I quickly told Lilian to take her time as I wanted to enjoy the moment.

Two Vietnamese girls were manning the store, and without hesitation, they approached Lilian with a sweet smile and well-spoken English.

Lilian must have looked like she was in the Disneyland of Bags here, as her constant focus was on the products displayed cleverly from pillar to pillar and wall to wall.

There must have been at least a hundred bags on display here, not forgetting the other little items throughout the store. 

Hanoi Ipa Nima Bag Shop
 The exciting designs in the store.

Video of Ipa-Nima Store in Hanoi 

Each store's walls were carefully designed with racks displaying a range of bags. There were pillars created in various store sections where new models were displayed against the bright magenta-padded velvet fabrics.

A clever way to keep one's eye busy. The cashier's counter doubled as another display where trinkets, purses, and other items were shown.

Most importantly, they had very comfortable sofa sets strategically placed for the customers to relax, namely the men like me. I liked it even though I was never the shopping type. 

As Lilian walked around the store, she must have looked at twenty bags. Selecting one wasn't easy as everything looked really nice.

What made it more interesting was that the previous season's collection of bags here was on sale. Up to 50% was offered on selected items, while the newer ones had a 20% discount.

Large mirrors were also cleverly placed as women love to see how they would look with these designer bags.

Eventually, after spending a good three hours here, she finally chose a Blue Leather Ipa Nima shoulder bag and one more fun-designed fabric Ipanima Tote Bag for her good friend back home.

Tina Sparkles Shop in Hanoi, Vietnam
Tina Sparkles Shop in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Tina Sparkles in Hanoi

For your information, another smaller shop is selling Ipa Nima Bags at Old Quarter in Hanoi. Tina Sparkles is just near Joseph's Cathedral in the Hoan Kiem District.

So if you are strapped for time, you can simply make your way here for some of the unique bags offered. They close at about 9pm too. If you are a serious shopper, please call them ahead to check opening and closing times as the staff here speak pretty good English.

They accept all kinds of Credit Cards here too. You can also get more up-to-date information from the official Ipa Nima Website.

Map to Ipa Nima Store in Hanoi

View Larger Map

Ipa Nima Flagship Store Hanoi
34 Han Thuyen
Hai Ba Trung District
Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone +844 3933 4000
Fax +844 3933 4008

Tina Sparkle Hanoi
17 Nha Tho
Hoan Kiem District
Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone +844 3928 7616

Conclusion

I also went bag hunting to look for some Crumpler Bags in Hanoi and found them. So for anyone wanting some quality bags, men or women, Hanoi is the place to explore this.

Once again, if you are planning a trip to this area and are a serious bag fanatic or have been looking for a good deal on these unique designer bags, I would recommend you check out the Ipa Nima Store in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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