Nanushka

Nanushka was founded in 2006 in Budapest by Sandra Sandor, a Hungarian designer who had recently graduated from the London College of Fashion. The early years were small — direct-to-consumer through her own studio and a handful of Budapest boutiques. The breakthrough came around 2017 when the brand's vegan leather wrap dresses, puffer jackets, and richly textured knits found an Instagram audience that propelled the brand into international visibility. The Nanushka vocabulary pairs Eastern European folk references (cossack-coat silhouettes, embroidery references, a particular Mitteleuropean colour palette) with a strong sustainability narrative: vegan leather has been a core material since the brand's relaunch, the textiles increasingly come from recycled and certified-organic sources, and the brand publishes annual sustainability reports. Husband Peter Baldaszti joined as CEO in 2016 and reorganised the business into a properly scaled luxury operation. Nanushka now operates standalone stores in Budapest, London, New York, and Berlin, plus a growing wholesale presence. Revenue is reportedly in the €70-100M range. The brand was acquired in 2020 by Hungarian luxury group Vanguards (which Baldaszti also founded), which now includes Sandor's parallel line Soeur and other emerging European labels. Sandor remains creative director.