AMELIA is the bag you'll never want to take off. And luckily you won't have to, because she can be worn in three different ways. The straps can be adjusted to turn the AMELIA into a backpack, crossbody, or shoulder bag. Carry your laptop in her, take her traveling around the world or use her as an everyday bag. Discover the streets of world cities like Barcelona, Sydney or LA, go on a shopping marathon or take her to your office.
AMELIA is super versatile and has a roomy interior. If you are looking to invest in a high-quality bag, that you will use daily, she is the one! And the best, she is one-of-a-kind.
AMELIA is made by hand; she is crafted out of best quality full-grain leather and beautiful artisan vintage fabrics - handwoven by the indigenous women in Guatemala. The patterns and the symbols on her textile are complex and have a deep meaning that goes back to the ancient Maya. The weaver women who made her put so much love into her, that you can feel the human touch. She is not just a bag; she is a real piece of art with a soul.
So elegant and casual at the same time, thanks to her vintage vibe and modern design. A special bag for a special lady!
Each of Mayalla’s products is beautifully unique. We are proud that no piece will be exactly the same as another since they are all handmade. A product that is not factory-fabricated, that has the human touch and is special, a real masterpiece! Please be aware that some of our products may have natural markings and imperfections, which should not be considered a fault. These imperfections make the piece special and human art, they are appreciated.
We support the Guatemalan community by purchasing their beautiful handmade textiles for fair prices from the weavers on the local markets. It is very important to us that they are paid fairly for their hard work. That’s why the artisans themselves set their prices. We are giving you - the consumer - the opportunity to show social responsibility by shopping in Ethical Stores like Mayalla. Read more here.
We have sustainably sourced all our textiles from our local weavers in Guatemala on the markets in Chichicastenango, Antigua and Panajachel.
We want to show the world the rich Guatemalan culture by sharing its indigenous handcrafted fabrics and traditions with the world. And explaining the meanings of their traditional textiles and other ancient traditions. Many people have never heard of Guatemala, so we see it as our challenge to change that!
Please note that due to different color settings on the device displays, the color of the leather and textile that you receive may not exactly match what you see on your screen. However, we try our best to provide accurate photos of our products that closely match their actual color.
The textile of this bag is called “huipil” meaning blouse and comes from the Guatemalan village Nebaj. It is woven in 1 – 4 months’ time by hand on a backstrap loom, using mercerized silk and cotton. It is woven with extreme attention to detail, having geometric brocade embroidery covering almost the entire textile. The wearing of this traditional costume is the norm in this small town. It can easily cost them a 2 months’ salary. Its geometric brocade embroidery has human characteristics, animal forms and attributes of plants.
Santa Maria Nebaj is a small Mayan village in the department Quiche in the heart of Guatemala. The traditional Nebaj dress is probably the most dramatic of all Guatemalan dresses. Green is usually the predominant color; most pieces however contain many different colors. The symbols of the embroidery represent the legend of “a princess who fell in love with a young man of lower social class. Her father, the king, didn’t like that his daughter wanted to be with him and disapproved of the relationship. That is why the king was looking for a way to split them up, so he spied on them. One of his spies was a bird, that wanted to help the young love and told the couple about the king’s plan to separate them. Thus, he became their Nahual - For the Maya a nahual is a spirit/ energy/ force that accompanies each person/ animals/ other elements of nature. They are symbols, that create a balance by linking people with the ecosystem. The princess, her lover and the bird fled all together from the rage of the King on a donkey. That is why. the donkey and the bird are represented on almost all the traditional textiles (huipils) from this region.
H: 39 cm - 15.3 in
W: 46 cm - 18.1 in
D: 14 cm - 5.5 in
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