Sugandh, the developer and designer behind GUNAS, Progressive Luxury, was born and brought up in the charming city of Pune in India. She grew up with art and design forming an integral part of her surroundings since early childhood.

Coming from a family of doctors, engineers, painters and businessmen Sugandh saw a well-balanced, progressive picture of the world she grew up in. Her fascination with travel began when she spent a whole year in Germany learning more about its culture and art forms. That experience made her want to explore new shores and it brought her to the United States. Here she received her formal training in BFA, Industrial Design and MFA, Design Management from prestigious institutes such as Columbus College of Art & Design, Pratt Institute and FIT in New York. During the course of her education she was awarded the IDSA Merit Award for exhibiting excellent skills as an Industrial Designer.

Following that she had the opportunity to work with brand names such as Victoria's Secret, Bosch Home Appliances, KitchenAid and JennAire Appliances. These experiences strengthened her knowledge of trends, colors and materials along with her core knowledge of products and the industry in general. Sugandh saw these skills as her key strengths and found her true calling in combining fashion with product. In September of 2009 she launched her brand of Lux Eco-Vegan bags with a 10-piece collection at the Nolcha Fashion Week for independent designers and was a showstopper amongst the crowd.

In less than a year, the brand's popularity grew with her New York messenger bag and the Emily clutch becoming an instant favorite with celebrities such as Kristanna Loken and Rachel Lay of VH1. The bags have been featured in Lucky, Marie Claire, Accessories, Veg News, Ecoterre, Habitat and numerous blogs. Sugandh's goal is to become a complete life style brand for the progressive minded individuals who wants to buy consciously without sacrificing style and quality. She currently shares her time between her homes in New York and India.