Cathryn Wills had a high-flying job as the head of accessories brand Mimco but working with leather was a struggle.

"There was an ethical conundrum that faced me, I didn't want to eat meat anymore so didn't want to work with animal products," Wills says. "A vegan handbag business seemed so obvious to me there wasn't really anything that was accessibly priced that was stylish and had design integrity."

Cathryn Wills quit her job at Mimco to start Sans Beast. Credit:Jason South

Wills quit Mimco and started Sans Beast (literally "without animal") in March 2018 with bags made from eco PU a term signifying that the chemicals used in the manufacture of their polyurethane adhere to international standards of chemical use.

Wills estimates it cost around $500,000 in savings to start Sans Beast which sells its products online as well as in David Jones, The Iconic and Stylerunner and turned over around $1 million last year.