Luxury Women-Owned Businesses To Shop Right Now
In 2022, I wrote this postcard on what actions I believe will help move the needle on Gender Equity. You'll notice that at the very top of the list is "Shop Women Owned Businesses". I like to put my money where my mouth is and I would say a big portion of my purchases go to women. Even my landlord is actually a landlady.
When people think of women-owned businesses they think of small, handmade, Etsy-type businesses and yes some of the women on the list below are small businesses but even Miuccia Prada is a majority owner of her brand. Shopping women-owned businesses might mean looking at all of your normal purchases, like coffee or your beauty products and diverting your dollars to women.
Why is this important? Distribution of wealth is how we build intergenerational wealth. Where you choose to spend your capital determines who gets to save, invest and grow. Spend your money on women this Christmas and beyond. You'll never regret it.
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Isla de Gar
Isla de Gar began life during the pandemic, when Founder and Creative Director, Emma Garner, found herself on furlough and back at her parent’s house. With time to spare, she returned to what she loved most—making. Drawing on her experience as a handbag designer for both high-end and high-street brands, and going back to her roots in textiles, she started experimenting with 3D surfaces. Slowly, over months, intricately crocheted bags took shape, and the Hive was born. I love this bag for both holidays and dinner parties.
Eloise Jephson
Eloise’s intricate drawings lend themselves perfectly to a canvas of silky, luxury loungewear. With her background in illustration, Eloise begins each collection with a print, an artwork in itself hand-drawn in her London-based studio. Her designs are thoughtful and playful, with a subtle nod to the subversive and the unexpected. Drawing on the mythological, the zodiac and the curiosities of the natural world around us, she creates classic, timeless and ethereal pieces rooted in her love of print, design and the mysteries of sleep. I own this dressing gown and feel like an absolute vixen when I wear it.
Alighieri
I have so many pieces from Aligheri, I don't know where to begin. Dreamt up by founder Rosh Mahtani when she was going through a dark time. Alighieri was inspired by Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, and his story of being lost in a dark wood, searching for strength and courage. Modern Heirlooms hand-carved and cast locally in the UK, each piece has a story and invites you to unlock your own. I love the new Zodiac collection!
Paris Georgia
Launched in 2015 by friends Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie, Paris Georgia is both a reflection of its founders and a reaction to the discerning women who form its community. Designed in New Zealand. Luxurious fabrics meet silhouettes that stand as an ode to the female form and favour subtle design over seasonal trends. This, combined with the brand’s focus on high-quality textiles and construction has seen Paris Georgia take on a timeless, transcendent quality. At Paris Georgia they celebrate women and create to empower modern women of our time.
I've worn this dress over and over.
Bantu Chocolate
Bantu Chocolate is a bean-to-bar craft chocolate and cocoa pulp juice maker specialising in single origin cocoa products. Bantu is dedicated to turning a broken system into a fair, sustainable and modern supply chain. Veronique Mbida, the founder of Bantu Chocolate, was inspired to start the company after learning about the exploitation of cocoa farmers and the lack of transparency in the chocolate industry. I love the new caramel bar.
Ruka Hair
2 Ex-strategy consultants @vtmoyo & @ugorjileah have built @rukahair. After constantly encountering frustrating shopping experiences, from faceless brands in the unregulated hair extensions industry, they decided to build their own solution. With an innovation team with ex-Dyson experience, they developed the widest range of textured hair extensions, winning the no.1 afro hair extensions provider in the UK for 2021. It's premium haircare.
I'm adding to this list all the time! Comment with your business below!
