As we step outside the confines of our homes, necessities shrink to the size of our bags. It’s hard to imagine going out without the safety, comfort and endless utility of these bags. Besides being high on utility, they elevate our style quotient several notches high.
Launched about a year and a half ago by first-time entrepreneur Mansi, brand The Gusto creates handmade, multi-purpose bags that focus on style and strength in equal measure. The Gusto strives to popularize the use of eco-friendly vegan leather as opposed to animal leather.
After working in the corporate sector for more than 10 years, Mansi decided to quit her job when she had her first child. She thought it best to don the hat of an entrepreneur and find ways to fulfill her dream of designing. Though she came from an engineering background, designing was her first love.
It was only when a friend offered her to take up his bag business that was on the verge of shutting down did she give it a serious thought. She decided to step in and thus got inducted into the fascinating world of bags. To create a sustainable source of income, she started making bags for multiple brands and continued doing this for four long years.
Then, came along the pandemic that changed everything around us and within us. During this time of chaos and crisis, Mansi realized that “I cannot be doing this forever. I cannot be making it for others, especially since I had that experience designing and manufacturing for them.” The next obvious step was to establish her own brand. And a startup was born.
The Gusto: Where style meets substance
The Gusto is a hand-crafted vegan leather brand that encourages the use of completely vegan products, thus ensuring no animal suffers while creating any of its products. Having set up a manufacturing unit in Gurgaon, The Gusto specializes in churning out bags for working professionals where organization and effective space utilization play a key role. Moreover, it offers other utilities such as pouch organizers to fit in the bare essentials.
Mere good looks are not enough. The brand is focused on creating bags that are as durable as they’re appealing. Since the products are meant to be used on a daily basis, the designs are minimalistic so that they remain fashionable even amidst changing trends. A bag that complements our style and accommodates all our essentials – that’s what team The Gusto strives to create.
The Gusto products are available on Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Ajio. Soon, it will begin shipping abroad, beginning from UAE and slowly spreading its services all over the world. The website was launched last year and has so far served more than 10000 customers. Collaboration with other companies is definitely on the cards and will remain an important part of its overall vision.
Vision for the future
The immediate aim is to build a robust online presence not only in India but also abroad given the deluge of global inquiries about the brand. Since the bags are for working professionals, The Gusto is looking forward to establish corporate tie-ups which would give them opportunities to work for corporates. Mansi further adds “We would definitely like to build our offline presence as well from different channels whatever comes our way.”
Intsagram link:- https://www.instagram.com/thegusto.in/
Official website:- https://www.thegusto.in/collection/cosmos
To read more Startup Stories on The Business Press, visit – https://www.thebusinesspress.in/category/startup-stories/