Veganologie was built because Angana Maheshwari found nothing while searching for an impeccably designed bag made from genuinely sustainable materials. So she did what few would: she built it herself. Founded in Dubai in 2022, Veganologie has become one of the region's most radical luxury labels, proving that ethics and aesthetics can share the same beautiful object. Their latest collection, Watan Wild, gives the UAE's most endangered species a voice, and a face. Angana speaks to L'Officiel Arabia about building something that matters from the only place that ever made sense: home.

DMA: Having lived in London, New York, Toronto and Luxembourg, why did you choose Dubai to build Veganologie?

Angana Maheshwari: I've lived across various global cities and had the privilege of experiencing how different cities shape ambition differently. But the UAE has this unique energy that actively seeks bold ideas, where vision is taken seriously, where a woman can decide to build something from scratch and find the infrastructure, the community and the appetite to support it. The region respects sustainability, there is genuine momentum here, and I wanted Veganologie to be part of that conversation from the inside. Dubai is also where I feel most at home. And when you're building something that matters to you, home is the only place to start.

DMA: What was that moment like when you went looking for a bag that did not exist, and the point when you decided to create it yourself?

AM: I wasn't looking for much, or that's what I thought. Just impeccable design, made from genuinely sustainable alternative leather, by a brand with real transparency and impact. No greenwashing, no compromises on quality. And I couldn't find it. Not in the UAE, not across the GCC. In fact, the more I searched, the more I realised the gap wasn't accidental, it was structural. The market simply hadn't built it yet. The frustration didn't arrive dramatically. It was a slow realization during the Covid period that if I kept waiting for someone else to solve this, I'd be waiting a long time. So I started researching, then planning, and by January 2022, Veganologie became real. Sometimes the product you can't find is the business you were meant to build.

 

DMA: What does the name Veganologie mean to you?

AM: For me, the name needed to carry the brand's entire philosophy in a single word. Vegan speaks to our material choices and our ethics: cruelty-free, fair-trade employment and non-toxic. The -ologie suffix, drawn from the study of things, signals that this is not a trend but a discipline - a lens through which we believe fashion should be approached. But honestly, more than a brand name, Veganologie was always intended to be a philosophy. A way of life, a way of living, a way of being - one that we wanted to invite our community to be part of. When someone carries a Veganologie piece, we want them to feel part of something bigger than a purchase. It becomes a shared belief that how we consume, what we choose next, and what we stand for, matters.

DMA: Watan Wild gives the UAE's endangered species unique and memorable personalities. What was the story behind this?

AM: Watan Wild began with a question: what if the UAE's most endangered species had a voice, and what if that voice was something you could carry with you every day? Meet Leo the Arabian Leopard, Mr and Mrs Sakr the Arabian Falcons, Bill the Hawksbill Turtle and Maha the Arabian Oryx. Each one has a personality and a purpose. Maha and Mrs Sakr open into mirrors, Mr Sakr unfolds into a pouch, Leo keeps your cables in order, and Bill carries your keys. Each is designed to be useful — because things you use every day become things you care about. And when you care about something, you start to ask questions about the animal it represents, about the biosphere it depends on, about what it would mean to lose it. A portion of every sale goes toward protecting the natural habitats of these species, through partnerships with organisations dedicated to their conservation.

 

DMA: What do you feel about the GCC consumer and sustainability? 

AM: What I've observed is a growing refusal to choose between beauty and responsibility. Our customers don't want to compromise on craft or aesthetics, but they increasingly want to know the story behind what they're buying. Where it came from. What it stands for. Whether the brand behind it means what it says. That's not a niche position anymore, it's becoming mainstream. The region's broader sustainability commitments, from the UAE Net Zero agenda to the conversations coming out of COP28, are shaping consumer consciousness in real ways. And Veganologie exists right at that intersection: luxury that is genuinely responsible, designed for a consumer who refuses to see those two things as opposites. And I believe the GCC is, in many ways, setting the pace.

www.veganologie.com | @veganologie