Gabriela Hearst on her arrival in India and the future of conscious fashion

“I’ve always been conscious of what’s happening to our environment,” says Gabriela Hearst. “And I say ‘environment’ because the Earth will be fine without us. Without an environment we can survive in, humanity cannot thrive.” Long synonymous with sustainable luxury, the designer has made her debut in India at Galeries Lafayette, Mumbai.

Born in Uruguay, Hearst grew up on her family’s ranch surrounded by horses, cattle and sheep. To her, luxury has always meant things that were thoughtfully created and built for the future. After more than a decade as a designer in New York, she launched her eponymous label in 2015. “Nobody needs another fashion brand,” she says. “We desire it, yes. When I launched Gabriela Hearst, I had a long-term vision that placed sustainability and ethical sourcing as the priority. But good intentions alone aren’t enough. The design had to be exceptional.”

Lady Gaga carrying the Nina bag

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Meghan Markle carrying the Nina bag

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And exceptional design is what the brand delivered. Hearst’s ‘Nina’ bag, first released in 2016, was quick to become a cult favourite. It featured a minimalistic round pouch, almost cinched at the top, with a long structured handle. Crafted from Nappa leather, it has since been released in bold prints, with cotton macrame and a range of colours.

From entirely eliminating plastic packaging to staging fashion’s first carbon-neutral runway show in Spring/Summer 2020, Gabriela Hearst (the brand and the designer) has set benchmarks for sustainable luxury. A member of the board of trustees of Save the Children, Hearst has repeatedly donated proceeds from her stores to the organisation, supporting their relief efforts across the globe. Even during the designer’s tenure at Chloé (December 2020–September 2023), the house became the first European luxury brand to earn B Corp certification.

Below, Vogue India speaks to Gabriela Hearst about her philosophy, her practice and the story behind the Nina bag.

Vogue India: What can Indian shoppers expect from your collection at Galeries Lafayette?

GH: It’s a beautiful space we designed with Antoine Dumas and Benji Gavron [from Brooklyn-based design atelier, Gavron Dumas Studio]. While the ready-to-wear is more limited, there’s a strong selection of our handbags. And you can’t buy a Nina or a Demi just anywhere. They’re available through our website, or in a handful of cities like London, Paris or New York and now at Galeries Lafayette in Mumbai.

VI: Where did the Nina bag come from?

GH: From a friend of mine, Ben, who still works with me. When we launched ready-to-wear and footwear in 2015, he said, “You can’t walk around with your clothes and shoes in someone else’s bag.” So I made a bag for myself. It was like a prototype, with no timeline. I walked around with it, and people reacted to it. Then Jony Ive [the then chief design officer at Apple] saw it in a hotel and asked me for it, for his wife. When one of the greatest designers of our time wants your bag, you make it. We decided not to wholesale it, to really limit it. Even when everyone wanted it, we chose to grow slowly. The bag came from a practical need. I designed it for myself, and we were lucky.