· ABOUT US ·
Searching for the Happy Bag
​
Km 0. Topänga Atelier is born from the 'particular' relationship between its founder Eva and the 'conventional' handbag.
Eva. - ‘it took me a long time to start wearing a handbag as I believed it would instantly turn me into an 'old lady', something that no woman is prepared for. Especially if you are not even 30! Most of the bags in the market seemed boring to me, and I felt they made me look 25 years older… but, at the same time, it was such a useful and necessary accessory! … From that struggle between 'I need something to carry my stuff' and 'I don't want to look like a lady', the search for the free, different, fun… HAPPY bag arose!
This notion, her lifelong love of crafting and the desire to experiment with alternative materials cemented the path toward Topanga Atelier.
Eva turned various exotic items from her trips into handbags; the burlap of a coffee bag from Honduras, a piece of tapestry bought from an Afghan artisan in Dubai...
The Prophecy
2013. 7 years before the founding of Topänga Atelier, while Eva was dedicated to her nomadic life and underwater adventures, someone close to her clearly saw her future!
Founding of Topänga Atelier
2020. After two decades of exploring the world, Eva arrived in Panama; surrounded by the tropical rainforest -an unavoidable source of inspiration- she created her 'Happy Bags for Happy People' brand!
​
Topänga is a Fashion Atelier committed to handcrafting and the Slow Fashion and Zero Waste cultures. Topänga designs are inspired by nature, travels, art, cultures ...
Limited edition pieces, artisan crafting and the creative, multicultural background of the Topänga Atelier family guarantee original creations that add a sense of uniqueness to any look.
¨Aunty Eva¨
Author: Jacobo Nieto. 2013
Drawing that represents the author's aunt carrying a handbag of her creation, 7 years before the founding of Topänga Atelier. A true visionary!
Eva Nieto is the Founder and Creative Director of Topänga Atelier.
Designer, Architect, Artisan, Traveler, Scuba Dive Instructor... after leaving Spain in 2001 Eva lived, worked, and travelled in Holland, Ireland, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, the United Arab Emirates, and the Cayman Islands. In 2019, Eva arrived in Panama, where she founded Topänga Atelier.