Cuyana

Feb 28, 2022

Cuyana is an American fashion retailer founded in 2011 in Stanford, California, by Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah. The clothing-retail company creates quality pieces for women to love and treasure for years to come.

Cuyana makes timeless clothing, bags, and accessories based on the philosophy of fewer, better. It aims to inspire intentional buying through pieces crafted with integrity.

Cuyana is a sustainable business and go-to brand for women searching for beautiful yet functional pieces built to endure their everyday. It celebrates the multifaceted spirit of modern women through a culture of empowerment.

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Sustainability Rating: 8/10

Rating FAQ

Category: Clothing, accessories, bags, jewelry

For: Women

Type: Basics, dresses, knitwear, loungewear, outerwear, nightwear, underwear

Style: Classic, chic

Quality: Medium

Price: $$

Sizes: XS-XL, 0-12 (US), 2-14 (UK), 32-42 (EU), 4-16 (AU)

Fabrics: Cotton, linen, jute, lyocell, modal, viscose, cupro, polyester, nylon, spandex, neoprene, polyurethane, leather, wool, silk

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: No

Ethical & Fair: Yes

Recycling: Yes

Producing country: Argentina, China, Ecuador, Italy, Peru, Portugal, Turkey, United States

Certifications: GOTS, GRS, Oeko-Tex, Bluesign, RWS, FSC, ISO 14001, SA8000, SMETA, WRAP

Sustainability Practices

Cuyana is committed to responsible production in pursuit of a more sustainable industry and future. It believes in owning fewer, better things and maximizing wear.

Cuyana produces its clothes, bags, and accessories in small batches, buying as close to demand as possible to prevent overproduction, unlike most fashion brands.

Cuyana believes in the quality of its products and is proud to offer a 2-year warranty. All its products that are within the 2-year warranty period are eligible for repairs free of charge with proof of purchase from Cuyana.

Cuyana also operates a Lean Closet program in partnership with TherdUp to keep your Cuyana pieces out of landfill by giving them a second life through resale or donation.

Cuyana only uses a high proportion of organic materials such as organic cotton and linen or recycled materials such as recycled polyester and regenerated nylon.

Cuyana also uses semi-synthetic fibers or regenerated cellulosic fabrics such as Tencel lyocell, modal, cupro, and viscose. Tencel is an eco-friendly fiber made with wood pulp from certified sustainable forests.

Cuyana publishes a list of all its manufacturers on its corporate website, Cuyana.com. It works alongside small businesses that share its values of design, quality, and sustainability.

Cuyana doesn't have a Code of Conduct that applies to all its suppliers and subcontractors. But it assesses factory social compliance with certification standards such as SA8000.

Cuyana doesn't use exotic animal skin, hair, fur, or angora. But it uses leather, wool, and silk to manufacture many of its clothing pieces.

These animal-derived materials are cruel and unethical. They also harm the environment by producing greenhouse gases and wastes. More sustainable alternatives exist.

Sustainability Goals

Cuyana has committed to achieving 100% sustainably-made products by 2022. 100% of its cotton will meet sustainable certification standards by 2022.

Cuyana doesn't measure its greenhouse gas emissions, water, land, energy use, pollution, and waste across the supply chain. It doesn't have any science-based targets to improve in the future.

Buy Here

Discover Cuyana's sustainable collections at Cuyana.com.

Reviews And Experiences With Cuyana

Have you had (good) experiences with shopping at or the products of Cuyana? Then leave us your rating below.

What We're Up Against

Multinational corporations overproducing cheap products in the poorest countries.
Huge factories with sweatshop-like conditions underpaying workers.
Media conglomerates promoting unethical, unsustainable products.
Bad actors encouraging overconsumption through oblivious behavior.
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