Fun, fashionable bags.
Scoutbag
Summer is divine, but it comes with a lot of things—flip-flops, beach towels, skin lotions, sunglasses—and it’s all got to be stylishly carted around. Deb Johns, owner of Bungalow, a Georgetown-based fashion and home accessories company, says that women should “celebrate their stuff.” Using her firm’s line of fun, fashionable bags, sold under the Scout brand, is one way to get organized.
Johns says that she and her husband, Ben Johns, started Bungalow four years ago because “we saw a void in the market for a product that was highly functional, affordable, but still fashionable.” They set out to fill the need and have found success with Scout, the company’s signature bags that range from totes and weekenders—ideal for beach outings or airplane trips—to purses and lunch bags suited for everyday use. Flexible and washable, Scout bags are conceived “to accommodate the mobility of life,” says Johns. They come in a wide variety of perky designs and patterns, with options as diverse as a girly pink-and-white paisley or an edgy black-and-white leopard print. The bags range in price from $15 to $40 and can be found in the Lemon Cabana in Virginia Beach, Tweed and Frillseekers in Richmond, Preppy Pink Pony in McLean and The Little Monogram Shop in Alexandria. They are also available at BungalowCo.com.
Bungalow has extended its business to include home products—among them, machine-washable rugs and runners, collapsible storage bins and accessories like flip-flops and beach towels with designs to match the bags. “We have a very broad market,” says Johns. “Our customers range from young women who want cute but useful accessories to moms who need a functional childcare bag to little girls who are buying their first purses.”
“Everybody has stuff,” she says, “so stop trying to hide it like you’re ashamed. Instead, celebrate it all in a fashionable way.”
