Cuyana is a women’s fashion brand that is all about incorporating fewer and better items into your wardrobe. It was started by co-founders Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah, who encourage customers to create a lean wardrobe of great quality pieces that they will love and treasure for years to come. That’s why the brand prides itself on the relatively timeless integrity of its designs, the use of carefully selected fabrics, precise silhouettes, attention to detail, and a commitment to producing these items responsibly.
Cuyana cares about how each product is made, and its impact on the planet. Over time they have intentionally built their supply chain to support sustainable and ethical production from raw materials to finished product. As far as possible, the brand tries to minimize its carbon footprint by manufacturing in close proximity to their material sources. For example, their Pima cotton is home-grown, spun and made into finished garments all in Peru.
Crafting items with integrity is key if the brand is to maintain its very responsible approach to garment production. Their vendors are small family-run businesses in Europe, South America, China and the United States that support skillful artisan techniques that have largely been left behind by modern mass production. In turn, the mills and factories that they use help support local economies around the world.
The brand wants you to maximize the wear of your items, and offers a 2-year warranty with every item and free repairs. They also provide ways to recycle every product through second-life programmes. Every domestic order in the US includes a thredUP shipping label to encourage you to pare down your closet to fewer, better things, AND pass on your items in ways that avoid landfills.
I’m familiar with the Cuyana brand because it’s popular with some of my clientele and our forum members. I see clean, crisp, beautifully made, luxurious, elegant, minimal, and versatile pieces that can be dressed up or down. Quality and precision jump off the page. Items are solid and neutral. Despite a classic integrity, there is a subtle nod to current trends.
Items are on the pricey side, and there is room to extend size curves beyond an XL, which I hope they do soon. Their handbags are beautiful, and their basic tees go down particularly well with my clients. The simplicity of their items might seem a little strict, classic, and void of fun to some. Instead I see that as an opportunity to adorn, remix, and dress them up YOUR way.
