GUNAS is the brainchild of designer and animal lover, Sugandh G. Agrawal, who started the company in 2009. She is a life-long vegetarian and now vegan who felt disturbed by the disconnect between her eating and fashion choices. Her message is clear, animals are not meant to be a part of fashion, and it is possible to look and feel good without harming other living beings. Sugandh quit her 7-year corporate career as an Industrial designer at KitchenAid to start her own cruelty-free fashion company in New York. She offers a wide range of styles and makes bags to suit every mood and lifestyle. GUNAS claims to be the first American designer brand of 100% vegan and stylish handbags. Its production started using small factories in the heart of Manhattan’s Fashion district and then shifted to small home run workshops of manufacturers around the globe. It now sources manufacturing from several different countries working with artisans from USA, India, South Korea, Portugal and Italy and claims to be 100% sweatshop-free.