Etcetera: Redefining luxury with sustainable bags

Etcetera, the innovative fashion brand founded by Ashima Gulati, is redefining luxury bags with a fresh, eco-conscious approach that combines sustainability, ethical fashion, and stylish design. After over 25 years of experience in interior design, Ashima ventured into fashion during the pandemic, creating functional, chic, and cruelty-free bags that quickly captured the attention of fashion enthusiasts.

What started as a personal experiment in 2020, when COVID-19 disrupted the hotel industry—Ashima’s primary clientele—turned into a flourishing online brand by 2021. The transition from interior design to fashion, particularly luxury bags, was organic and instinctive for Ashima. “The transition was unplanned. When the hotel industry got impacted during COVID, my soft furnishing projects stalled. That’s when the idea of making bags out of textiles came to mind,” she explains. “As an interior designer, I had never shied away from experimenting with new materials. The same approach is reflected in the bags as well.”

Etcetera’s diverse collection offers a bag for every occasion, from casual, everyday bags to festive designs. The newly launched Denim Collection exemplifies the brand’s modern, eco-conscious take on luxury bags. Ashima explains, “Denim has been a popular material for decades due to its universal appeal and strength. Many bag brands are now experimenting with denim because of these qualities. Consumers are now exploring materials other than animal leather. We’ve received a positive response to our denim bags, and we’re very happy about it.”

At the heart of Etcetera’s philosophy is its commitment to cruelty-free, vegan bags. The brand rejects traditional leather in favour of a mix of sustainable materials like loom fabrics, jute, canvas, and denim, with minimal use of vegan leather. “The choice for the brand to be cruelty-free was obvious,” Ashima shares. “Sustainability is a long-drawn process and a constant effort. We use a lot of loom fabrics in cotton, jute, linen, and canvas, and our goal is to use local materials in trending global styles.”

Creating bags that are both stylish and sustainable is no easy feat. One of the challenges Ashima faced was sourcing alternative materials to replace leather. “It’s tough to match the hardness and longevity of leather. We’ve had to tweak the shapes and styles to suit the materials. Different reinforcements are added based on the look and feel of the bags,” she explains. “Expecting a fabric bag to look and feel the same as animal leather is not possible, and that shift in mindset is important.”

The brand has garnered attention not only in India but also took its first steps toward the European market last year. “The bags have been well accepted and appreciated, and that’s the most rewarding part,” Ashima says. “There have been many challenges, from sourcing materials to understanding fabric limitations. It’s been a major learning process, both intimidating and interesting.”

The brand is expanding its offerings, with plans to introduce office bags, a unisex range of bags and accessories, and fun party bags.

Price on request. Available online.

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