Let the 4th Anniversary Flamingo Bag Frenzy Begin!
June has rolled around once again, and that means one thing at Wicker Darling - MORE FLAMINGO BAGS. The month of June is our business anniversary, and since Wicker Darling began with a single flamingo purse, it’s only right to celebrate with more of the awkward pink creatures.
Flamingos are simply fabulous, and I am of the mind that you can never have too many of these ostentatious avians in your flamboyance of accessories.
That’s right, a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance, and we think it's the absolute perfect name to represent our animal-shaped purses.
And this year, my scrumptious jujubes, there will be quite the addition to the flamboyance - with not one, not two, but FOUR new flamingo accessories. I’m not just talking flamingo handbags, but a flamingo scarf and bag charm as well!
But before I introduce our new anniversary offerings, I’d like to take a trip down memory lane, so you can see the transformation of the brand, and our designer flamingo bags and accessories.
Our humble beginnings at Wicker Darling
As many of you know, I am a single mother of an autistic teenage son, who I homeschool. This makes me a rather busy person and, as such, I was never really looking to start a business.
What I was looking for was a particular pink flamingo purse.
I looked high, I looked low, and there was nary a wicker flamingo bag to be found. So I rolled up my sleeves, and designed my own.
By the time I had gone through the work of drawing up the bag, locating an atelier in the Philippines, and going back and forth over the rattan flamingo bag design, I thought: “Well, I’ve made this ridiculous purse now - perhaps someone else wants one?”
And DID they!
So Wicker Darling was born.
June 2018 - Chile the Flamingo
I decided to make Wicker Darling in mid 2018, based solely around my very first flamingo bag design - Chile the flamingo basket. There was such commotion, and much demand for this stately sir, but I really wanted to keep my wicker designer bags limited edition, so it was back to the drawing board (quite literally).
Soon came Ita the ibis bird purse, Viv the unicorn purse, Chorizo the dachshund handbag, and a whole other passel of purses you have come to know and love.
But there was always a particular demand for a flamingo bag - which I completely understand. Wicker Darling literally came about because I couldn’t get my crazy flamingo lady purse! (And for a flamingo lover, that purse is a very strong NEED.)
I did release Chile a couple of times, but soon retired him in mid 2019. To go along with his retirement, I released the purse in an all new colour way, and Snow Chile was born.
June 2019 - Snow Chile the Flamingo
My first anniversary flamingo bag was Snow Chile, modelled after the pale and majestic Chilean Flamingo. Snow Chile was one of my most exclusive designs, with only 30 bags released in total.
And I thought that was it. I publicly declared on social media that I was done with flamingo bags for good, and that if anyone ever wanted a Wicker Darling flamingo purse, they had better hop on it and snatch an elusive Snow Chile.
And so, I moved on to other animal designs. Some darling dinos. Some elegant elephants. But no flamingos.
Then, in September 2019, as I was sitting at a tram stop and stressing about what the future of the business (and my finances) held, a middle-aged woman struck up a life-altering conversation with me.
She shared her own woes of work (and lack thereof) and asked about my wicker flamingo bag. I told her all about my business, and my current worries.
The woman said the flamingo was obviously a winner, and that if he is what the people wanted, and he helped my business succeed, then I should keep releasing him.
Then, of course, I explained my concern that continuing to release Chile would make him less special. And what did she say?
“Design another flamingo then.”
GENIUS.
June 2020 - Flamingo Montoya (Monty) the Flamingo
Thank goodness for the candid wisdom of strangers, or this handsome fella would never have come to be! Meet Flamingo Montoya, our lovable, vibrant, completely-revamped flamingo bag.
As flamingo bags go, I think Monty (as we like to call him) is absolutely STUNNING, and is a very different style and shape than our original Chile.
For one, Monty is an in-your-face fuschia. What’s more, he has a very intricately shaped head, a circular bottom, and slightly more sophisticated hardware. In short, we love him, and you should too.
Thanks random tram station lady!
June 2021 - Annie the Anniversary Flamingo
Having released flamingo bags for two anniversaries in a row, I decided IT WAS A THING. Anniversary flamingo handbags simply needed to go on.
And so, for 2021, I designed a very special anniversary flamingo tote bag named Annie.
Now, Annie is short for “anniversary,” but it also happens to be the name of my mother, who many of you may remember as Mama Le Bonbon.
Of course, like her namesake, Annie needed to be a head-turner, so I gave her some splendiferous hand-beaded wings inspired by the tail feathers of our Percy the peacock purse design.
I’m always trying to improve my designs at Wicker Darling, so not only did Annie get a wing upgrade, she also got a crossbody strap and magnetic closure, making her oh-so-convenient to strut out with.
Speaking of convenience, it was around this time that I began experimenting with other products and in-stock options at Wicker Darling.
Starting in June 2021, I began to release some quirky mini coin purses, reusable tote bags, silk scarves, and elegant clutch purses to go along with my usual wicker purse offerings.
Of course, some of the clutches and scarves featured flamingos, and Florence the flamingo coin purse was a flamingo in her own right. Being budget-friendly, versatile, and in-stock, Florence was a fabulous gift option for flamingo lovers everywhere.
But I wasn’t done designing yet!
Meet our 2022 anniversary flamingo bags
This year, I’ve really outdone myself (if I do say myself). I have wrestled up FOUR phenomenal flamingo accessories for our 2022 anniversary celebration.
So let’s get you properly introduced.
Flamenco Flamingo
Behold the first of our quirky flamingo offerings, Flamenco the flamingo wicker purse. Flamenco Flamingo is inspired by the humble plastic garden flamingo - thus his bold colouring and high-shine top coat.
Flamenco shares the same silhouette as Monty, but there are some marked differences. Note the beak. Flamenco’s a classic orange and black, as opposed to Monty’s pink and white moment. He also has beautiful hot pink leather straps instead of peach ones.
He’s a stunner, and he’ll be your fiery dancing partner ANY time.
DIY Flamingo
Is Flamenco not your style? Why not dance to the beat of your own drum with a DIY flamingo basket?
This incredible little craft project was inspired by some sneaky (and rather creative) customers of mine who have been subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) altering my purse designs over the years.
Am I mad about that? Absolutely not! Let your inner freak fly my dears!
And that’s why I am offering a fully DIY flamingo basket for you now - so you can paint, bedeck, and bedazzle him to your heart’s content and truly make him your perfect purse.
Inspired by the silhouette of OG Chile, DIY Flamingo is the perfect creative outlet for your wack-a-doo, over the top style. Just look at what lovely monstrosities my friends created!
I cannot WAIT to see what you do with him. Please hashtag me and tell me all about it!
Fancy the Flamingo Bag Charm
If you’d like a wicker flamingo that isn’t so sizable, perhaps Fancy would suit your fancy?
Fancy the flamingo bag charm is just the sweetest feathery water nymph. She is bitty (12x12cm), she is baubly, she is entirely vegan-friendly, and she is very, very pink.
Fitting all this personality in the palm of your hand is no small feat, and I’m so impressed with the skills of our talented Filipino artisans. Seriously - look at those hand-woven details!
Fancy may be a pint-sized accessory, but she is chock-full of charm. You can attach her to your keychain, your carry-on luggage, or any non-wicker bag your heart desires!
Why non-wicker? Well, the wicker-on-wicker friction can cause some unseemly paint-chipping episodes. And no one wants that.
That being said, if you really, REALLY, want to add a little Fancy to your wicker handbag, a matching Sharpie may help fill in any mishaps.
But my, what a difference a flamingo bag charm makes to a simple black handbag. You’ll be the talk of the town!
Anniversary Flamingo Silk Scarf
One flamingo scarf is never enough, so even if you’ve picked up our Lemon Scarf or tropical Bird Scarf in the past, I am sure you will be THRILLED by our new Anniversary Flamingo Silk Scarf.
Not only is this silk scarf STUNNING and full of flamboyant flamingos, it’s also substantially larger than our other flamingo scarf offerings - standing in at a glorious 36 x 36 inches. This means that no matter the size of your gorgeous thinker, there will be plenty of silk to go around!
The Anniversary Flamingo Silk Scarf was designed for us by the lovely Laura from Obscurio & Co., who is also responsible for our other fabulous silk scarf designs. You can pop this beauty in your hair, drape it over your shoulders, tie it to your purse - you name it!
This print is screaming to be seen.
Listen to it.
Snatch up these cheeky birds before they soar away!
With four new flamingo options, I’m sure at least SOMEthing has caught your eye. And if it has, then you’ll want to snatch it up while you can!
All these flamingo bags and accessories will be in-stock (read: NOT PRE-ORDERS), and in limited qualities - so you’ll need to think fast.
The anniversary flamingo frenzy will start at 8pm, June 20 AEST, with purse payment plans available through 9am, June 22 AEST.
And remember, each handmade purse or accessory comes with free shipping and tracking, so you can stay excited all through your flamingo’s migration to your doorstep.
So what are you waiting for? Come see what our current flamboyance of flamingo purses and vintage accessories is all about.
