The 7 Women Owned Brands That Inspire Us
Faye Lessler
Image via @potyurtitsawayluv
Here at Shea Brand we think it's pretty darn important to believe, support, and celebrate women. We feel that women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities contribute so much to this world that is not often seen or appreciated, so we wanted to do our part to change that by sharing with you some of our favorite women-owned brands.
From planting trees and supporting small farmers to empowering women and amplifying the conversation about equality - these female entrepreneurs are totally killing the game. Their creativity and badass business skills leave us inspired and motivated to smash that glass ceiling and make our mark on the world. Keep scrolling for seven of the women-owned brands who we just can't get enough of!
Image via @siizu_official
Siizu
This ethical fashion brand was founded by Kay Wen, with a simple philosophy to design beautiful, sustainable, well-made clothing at an accessible price point. What we love about Siizu is that everything they make is manufactured from an eco-friendly fabric in a factory that treats its workers fairly. Kay Wen has gone the extra mile in making sure that all of Siizu's partner factories are OEKO-TEX certified, meaning that no harmful chemicals were used in the production process. Siizu also ships all of their orders in recycled paper instead of poly bags and donates a portion of their proceeds to the American Forest project, which is planting 2.7 million trees across the US.
Pot Yer Tits Away Luv
This Scottish ceramicist launched her brand not knowing it would become a sensation. Emma Low began Pot Yur Tits Away Luv in order to include and celebrate bodies of all kinds - regardless of shape, size, gender, or skin tone. The handmade, one-of-a-kind tit pots quickly gained a loyal and massive following online to the tune of intersectional feminism, self-love, and body acceptance. We love the sense of humor that Emma brings to her work and we appreciate the conversations she has on her platform about mental health, intersectionality, and feminism.
Image via @sillychillyhotsauce
Silly Chilly Hot Sauce
This wonderfully wacky brand is headed up by Sufia Hossain, a first generation American hailing from Bangladesh. The flavors of Bangladesh played a big role in how Sufia got her start as she turned to them for comfort and respite while working a stressful fashion industry job in NYC. Sufia's exploration of flavor and food eventually turned into her full-time, dream job, which she uses as a platform to challenge norms and set an example for others. One of the ways that she does that is by working exclusively with small, local, organic farmers and by making all of her hot sauces by hand. Sufia manufactures Silly Chilly Hot Sauces (which are always gluten free and vegan, by the way) in New Jersey and they are sold all across the US.
Image via @lesgamins_nyc
This adorable children's wear brand was founded by Véronique Nguyen, mother of two and a firm believer in karma. She founded Les Gamins with the simple idea of creating playful, practical basics for kids that won't break the bank or trash the planet. Les Gamins is French, meaning "rugrats" or "mischevious little kids" - an idea of innocent fun that translates well in their USA-made designs. The brand launches curated collections that are both practical for year round wear, and last a lifetime. Véronique knows all too well how quickly little ones grow so she has done everything she can to ensure that Les Gamins clothing will be handed down rather than going in the trash (the styles are mostly unisex for this reason). The brand has also partnered with Wearable Collections, an NYC-based organization that redistributes high-quality used clothing in needy communities and ensures proper recycling for anything that cannot be reused.
Highly touted Levo Oil was founded by Chrissy Bellman, an experienced businesswoman with a history managing projects at Fortune 500 companies, and inventor of the LEVO, a machine that makes it easy for anyone to infuse oils with their desired ingredients. From cannabis and lavender to rosemary and chilis, the LEVO machine offers an intuitive, no-mess infusion experience, enabling people to achieve wonderful flavors in their kitchen without any trace of chemicals or processed foods. It's a beautiful, game-changing machine, and thanks to Chrissy and her team, is now available in a variety of retro colors at an accessible price.
Image via Selva Negra
We are in love with the artsy, feminine and functional styles that Selva Negra dreams up. Kristen Gonzalez and Sam Romero were influenced by their Latina heritage and a vision for bold feminine identity when they launched in 2016. Their designs aim to set zero limits to what women wearing them can achieve, and as entrepreneurs they seek to lead by example. Selva Negra creates all of their clothing locally in Los Angeles and are passionate about representing women's empowerment and quality craftsmanship in addition to beauty.
Pilot Kombucha
When Alex Ingalls launched Pilot Kombucha she had one goal in mind: to bring gut health to the hedonistic food lovers of NYC. As a foodie and hedonist herself, Alex had discovered the wonders of kombucha and realized that she could feel healthy & energized without sacrificing her indulgences. She's successfully brought that sense of balance to New Yorkers and beyond with her delicious, probiotic-packed batches of Pilot Kombucha. Alex and her team source organic and fair trade ingredients from around the world, regularly in search of the best flavors and most nourishing raw ingredients. The brand believes in challenging norms within the industry as well as the power of reinvention, both qualities that have helped Pilot Kombucha grow and stand out from the crowd.
*This post was written by Faye Lessler, a California born, New York City based advocate for holistic sustainable living. Faye is the author of sustainable lifestyle blog, Sustaining Life, and is passionate about supporting sustainable brands and making an ethical & eco-friendly lifestyle easier and more accessible for all. Faye is also a freelance writer, consultant, and the Events + Talent Manager for the Ethical Writers & Creatives. Sustaining Life has been featured in Glamour Magazine and has collaborated with sustainability leaders Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, Thinx, and Klean Kanteen.