OUR STORY HIGH FASHION . ZERO CRUELTY

Sugandh

GUNAS is an independent high fashion label with a cause! Started in 2009 by designer and animal lover, Sugandh G. Agrawal, GUNAS' 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.

MWBE Certified

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 using 100% vegan and cruelty-free materials. Our products are free of leather, silk, fur, wool, bone, horn and animal byproduct adhesives. We use a variety of alternatives in our construction

We are committed to being a 100% vegan brand.
We are committed to being a 100% vegan brand.
We believe that animals are not a “property” of humans.
We believe that animals are not a “property” of humans.
We are against the human nature of bullying & domination of other species.
We are against the human nature of bullying & domination of other species.
We stand up to the culture of violence & suffering that we inherited against our will.
We stand up to the culture of violence & suffering that we inherited against our will.
Justice, empathy and compassion are our core values.
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 envision a world of peace, love and kindness that starts with each one of us.
We advocate conscious consumerism over fast fashion.
We advocate conscious consumerism over fast fashion.
We make “victim-free” fashion full of love for all.
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.
We will not participate in any kind of exploitation,be it towards our planet, people or animals.

WHY VEGAN

Why vegan

Veganism is a lifestyle choice that’s all about protecting animals by avoiding the use of objects made from animals, animal by-products or using animal testing. Let’s just understand that Leather is “not”a by-product of the meat industry. Raising animals for food and leather requires huge amounts of feed, pasture land, water, and fossil fuels. Turning skin into leather requires massive amounts of energy and dangerous chemicals, including mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and various oils, dyes, and finishes, many of them cyanide-based. Most leathers are chrome-tanned, a lot of which gets washed away into our fresh water supplies during the process of making leather. People who work in tanneries or live close by often suffer from cancer, lung damage caused by exposure to toxic chemicals used to process and dye the leather. “Non-leather” alternatives account for only a fraction of petroleum used in contrast to leather.

Leather not only causes suffering for the animals but also causes harm to our environment, the people that produce it and also those who choose to wear it.

OUR HISTORY

We are delighted and honored by the enormous recognition over the past decade from the industry. Besides being featured in top global mainstream media outlets, Fashion college textbooks, TV shows, podcasts we've won several titles by some prestigious names in the fashion and activism world.

2009
FOUNDED GUNAS USA INC., AUGUST 2009
LAUNCHED FIRST MADE IN NYC, CAPSULE COLLECTION AT NOLCHA NEW YORK FASHION WEEK, SEPTEMBER 2009
FILED TRADEMARK IN USA FOR GUNAS.
2010
EXHIBITED AT THE NY GIFT SHOW, JANUARY 2010
BRAND LAUNCH PARTY AT THE MONDRIAN, LA
MOVED PRODUCTION TO CHINA
WITNESSED POOR WORKING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT IN FACTORIES.
2011
SET UP AN ETHICAL MANUFACTURING STUDIO IN NEW DELHI, INDIA.
TRAINED LOCAL ARTISANS TO PRODUCE QUALITY FASHION PIECES FOR THE BRAND AND OEM.
2012
WON BEST ETHICAL FASHION ACCESSORY BRAND AWARD BY THE ETHICAL FASHION FORUM, LONDON. SEPTEMBER 2012
EXHIBITED AT ACCESSORIES SHOW
EXHIBITED AT PROJECT & MAGIC, LAS VEGAS
2013
AWARDED BEST FASHION ACCESSORIES BRAND BY PETA LOS ANGELES HEADQUARTERS.
2014
FOUNDER RECEIVES PERMANENT RESIDENCY STATUS TO THE USA, BASED ON WORK DONE THROUGH THE BRAND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS.
2015
FOUNDER WINS BEST GREEN HANDBAG DESIGNER AWARD SPONSORED BY LNSTYLE MAGAZINE. FEATURED IN THEIR SEPTEMBER ISSUE.
MOVED PRODUCTION TO SOUTH KOREA.
EXHIBITED AT THE VEG FEST, NEW YORK CITY
2016
FIRST POP-UP SHOP OPENS AT BRYANT PARK NYC. JUNE-DEC 2015
FIRST PUBLIC PARTY FOR LOCAL FANS
LAUNCHED PILOT SHOE COLLECTION.
EXHIBITED AT THE SEED FOOD & WINE FEST, MIAMI
2017
DESIGN PANELIST ON WOMEN IN DESIGN, IDSA, COLUMBUS, OH
DESIGN PANELIST ON VEGAN FASHION, FIT/ PETA, NEW YORK
FEATURED ON BRAVO TV, GG2D SHOW
FEATURED ON LET'S MAKE A DEAL SHOW, TV
FILE FOR TRADEMARK RIGHTS IN SOUTH KOREA
FILE FOR TRADEMARK OF LOGO, USA
SUMMER POP-UP SHOP @JIVAMUKTI YOGA SCHOOL, UNION SQUARE, NYC
OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED CAPSULE SHOE COLLECTION
EXHIBITED AT CAPSULE SHOW
EXHIBITED AT THE HUDSON VALLEY VEG FEST.
NOMINATED FOR GLOBAL VEGGIE AWARDS 2017
2019
Launched Brand at the Macy's Herald Square store and Macy's online.
2020
Launched Brand at Lord & Taylor online.
2021
Launched Brand on QVC Live TV with our classic Cottontail Bag.
2023
Our Ruth tote sells out in under 4 minutes on live TV at QVC.
Sugandh featured on The Cut by New York Magazine