After a 20 year-long wait, Anita Dongre launches her vegan accessory line comprising handbags and belts

The new line of belts and bags are made from a plant-based, plastic-free material called Mirum

Anita Dongre loves Nature. It inspires, nourishes, and rejuvenates her, often serving as a muse for her creations. The designer even dreams of having an elephant sanctuary someday. No wonder, she chose the elephant as her logo. “I love elephants. Their sheer size is awe-inspiring, and they are strong yet gentle, majestic and vegetarian,” says Anita, who has just launched a capsule collection of vegan belts and bags. 

A vegan for the last three years, the designer has for long wanted to bring this philosophy into her collections, offering accessories that are luxurious and kind to animals and the environment. A line of vegan leather bags was on her to-do list for the longest time, but Anita had to wait almost 20 years till she found the kind of materials she was happy with. “A lot of vegan leather has plastic. I wanted the material to be plastic-free,” she says. With a lot of companies doing intense R&D, there are some amazing trends emerging. “We are starting this line with Mirum, a plant-based, leather-like, plastic-free, cruelty-free, recyclable material,” says Anita.

The launch edit has six pieces: four bags, and two belts. This includes the Swan mini grab bag, Nocturnal glass beaded bag, Champagne gold glass beaded bag, Birds of a Feather bag and belt and the Haathi belt. Recycled beads have been used for the Nocturnal and Champagne bags. “Birds are a constant in all my creations,” says Anita, whose current crop of bags feature metal handles inspired by the neck of a swan and motifs that depict two swans meeting.

This line, Anita says, includes conscious, ethical, and timelessly elegant pieces.

Prices start at ₹14,500. 5% of proceeds from this line of accessories will be donated to the India Animal Fund.