Ashoka Paris

Ashoka Paris is a French vegan leather goods brand founded in Paris in 2018 by Gwenaëlle and Frédéric, built on the conviction that a beautiful bag does not need animal leather to be desirable. The maison designs its handbags, sneakers, faux fur pieces and accessories in the French capital, then entrusts production to specialized workshops in Europe and Asia selected for the precision of their expertise; the vegan fur is handcrafted by a partner workshop in Paris with the finishing level of a haute couture house. In 2024 the maison passed to the Attia family, which continues to develop what has been built while gradually making its own mark. The brand's name references Ashoka, one of the greatest emperors of ancient India, who renounced war and forbade the killing of animals on his lands. That choice to do things differently without sacrificing excellence is what Ashoka Paris says it has embodied since its creation. Its materials are plant-based and innovative — Uppeal™ made from apple waste, materials derived from bamboo, and grain-based materials — chosen for their character as much as their quality. The maison states that these materials have an environmental impact significantly lower than those from livestock farming, and frames veganism not as a selling point but as a starting point. Ashoka Paris sells directly through its own e-commerce site, with pricing in US dollars on its international storefront and a product range spanning shoulder bags, totes, travel bags, briefcases, backpacks, sneakers, faux fur and accessories. Signature lines include the Mini Paname, Brigitte, Jolly, Journey, Marilyn, Pretty, City and Lively, alongside the Kromatik line and an Archives collection of near-new pieces with slight singularities. Products carry a two-year plus one-year warranty and are marketed as designed in Paris with no animal-derived materials.

Ashoka Paris was founded in Paris in 2018 by Gwenaëlle and Frédéric, with a simple idea: that a beautiful bag does not need animal leather to be desirable. From the outset the maison positioned itself as a luxury bags and accessories house convinced that one does not have to choose between beauty and one's convictions. Its name was drawn from Ashoka, one of the greatest emperors of ancient India, who — marked by the violence of his conquests — renounced war and forbade the killing of animals on his lands, convinced that the greatness of a reign is measured by its gentleness as much as by its power. The brand adopted that choice to do things differently without sacrificing excellence as its guiding principle. The maison built its identity around material innovation rather than around veganism as a marketing claim. It developed and adopted plant-based materials including Uppeal™, made from apple residue and developed in Florence in the Florentine tradition of working fine materials, alongside materials derived from bamboo and grain-based materials. Each model originates from a Parisian design and is then assigned to a workshop according to its requirements: bags and accessories are entrusted to specialized workshops in Europe and Asia selected for the precision of their expertise, while the vegan fur is handcrafted by a partner workshop in Paris with the finishing level of a haute couture house. The maison states that the materials it uses have an environmental impact significantly lower than those from livestock farming. Over its first years the brand assembled a broad collection of bag silhouettes — including the Mini Paname, Brigitte, Jolly, Journey, Marilyn, Pretty, City and Lively — plus sneakers, faux fur pieces and accessories, sold through its own e-commerce site with international storefronts. It also introduced an Archives collection of pieces close to new, carrying slight singularities such as minor flaws or use during a photoshoot, offered at reduced prices. Products are marketed as designed in Paris with no animal-derived materials and carry a two-year plus one-year warranty. In 2024 the maison passed to the Attia family. Under the new ownership it continues what has been built with high standards and, in its own words, slowly begins to make its own mark. The brand remains a family business and continues to describe veganism not as its selling point but as its starting point.

• 2024

  The maison passes to the Attia family.

• 2018

  Ashoka Paris founded in Paris by Gwenaëlle and Frédéric.

Luxury vegan leather goods maison designed in Paris, combining Parisian elegance with next-generation plant-based material innovation.

• Mini Paname

  Compact and chic vegan bag.

• Brigitte

  Flap shoulder bag.

• Jolly

  Everyday tote bag; the Jolly Full Uppeal™ White is a shopper silhouette with a faceted fox pull tab, made entirely in Uppeal™.

• Journey

  A soft travel bag with large volume.

• Marilyn

  Elegant shoulder bag.

• Pretty

  Soft handbag.

• City

  A flat, structured briefcase.

• Lively

  An urban backpack with a padded laptop pocket.

• Kromatik line

  Line to which the Jolly Full Uppeal™ White belongs.

• Archives collection

  Pieces close to new with slight singularities such as minor flaws or use during a photoshoot, in limited quantities.

1. 1Ashoka Paris – Vegan Handbags & Sneakers, Designed in Parisashokaparis.com
2. 2Ashoka Paris - High-end vegan bags and accessories, founded in Parisashokaparis.com
3. 3Archives – Jolly White, the large white tote bag at a lower price – Ashoka Parisashokaparis.com
4. 4Ashoka Paris – Wikidatawikidata.org