They travel the world, help less fortunate communities and come back with great tans and backpacks brimming with unusual finds. Maybe those Gap Yah students are on to something.

If taking time out to travel isn’t on the agenda, you can still get a piece of the action with a Wayúu Tayá bag. Made using traditional tribal techniques developed by the indigenous Wayúu women and children of Colombia and Venezuela, the vibrantly hued accessories take twenty days to finish.

Former Chanel model Patricia Velásquez set up The Wayúu Tayá Foundation, so its bags have style as well as substance (an incredible 80 per cent of proceeds goes straight back into the community). Each woven cotton satchel is one of a kind, so whether you go for a technicolour bucket or a monochrome tote, you’ll make a statement.

One that’s really saying something.

Available online at net-a-porter.com, £145-£165. For more information on The Wayúu Tayá Foundation, go to wayuutaya.org.

Photo: Courtesy of Net-a-Porter.com