OUR STORY HIGH FASHION . ZERO CRUELTY GUNAS is an independent high fashion label with a cause! Started in 2009 by designer and animal lover, Sugandh G. Agrawal, GUNAS's heart and soul screams to be the voice of animals. With an award winning design and business background, Sugandh quit her 7-year corporate career as an Industrial designer at KitchenAid to start her own brand of cruelty-free fashion in New York. Her mission is strong and clear. Animals are NOT meant to be a part of fashion. We can look and feel good without harming other living beings. We need to connect our selves with what goes on behind the scenes and question our actions and their impacts. What initially began as an all MADE IN NYC label, has now gone global to source and manufacture bags and shoes using artisan and small-scale ethical manufacturers from countries such as India, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil and Hong Kong. With styles ranging from totes, satchels, cross-body bags, wallets and backpacks GUNAS has a bag to suit your every mood and lifestyle need. THE BRAND MANIFESTO We are committed to being a 100% vegan brand. We believe that animals are not a “property” of humans. We are against the human nature of bullying and the desire to dominate all other species. We stand up to the culture of violence and suffering that we inherited against our will. Justice, empathy and compassion are our core values. We envision a world of peace, love and kindness that starts with each one of us. We advocate conscious consumerism over fast fashion. We make “victim-free” fashion full of love for all. We will not participate in any kind of exploitation, be it towards our planet, people or animals. SUSTAINABILITY GUNAS bags are 100% free of animal by-product. That means no silk, no fur, no wool, no down feathers, no leather! We use a variety of fabrics including coated canvases, nylons, eco-polyurethane, ultra-leather, ultra-suede and up-cycled polyester for linings. We do not use any PVC. Whenever possible, we also incorporate up-cycled upholstery fabrics and vintage materials into our collection. We are continuously trying to improve our material quality and experimenting by incorporating new materials such as cork, rubber and pinatex into our designs. All hardware is lead and nickel free. The custom logo hardware is made using recycled metals and is 24 carat gold plated. The lining fabric is made from up-cycled cotton canvas or recycled plastic bottles (essentially recycled Polyester) and we only use YKK zippers. ETHICS We believe that just being a vegan brand is not sufficient. We care about people just as much as we care about the planet. It is important for us to know "Who makes our Bags?" We now manufacture with several countries, working with artisans from USA, India, South Korea, Mexico and Italy. We continue to seek new artisans that spark our creativity so we can bring you a diverse range of bags that fit your lifestyle. All our bags are sweatshop-free, Each factory has been personally visited and checked for ethical working conditions for their workers.
