The client stated that they wanted "a hippo that makes you smile..." for their new website that would sell "trendy stuff, a great mixture of e.g. Scandinavian upcoming designers, Vintage and high end fashion."
They didn't want a cartoon hippo from "Disney or Pixar", but rather something that would appeal to their target audience of 30+ women.
The logo that I designed strikes that balance between cute and sophisticated that the client sought, and that the audience, I believe, would have responded to.