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  • Home Blog Women-Owned Brands Inspiring Inclusivity

    As International Women’s Day (IWD) approaches, Kingsway is gearing up to celebrate the remarkable achievements of women around the world. This year’s IWD campaign theme, “Inspire Inclusion,” calls on us to collectively foster a more inclusive world for women to create a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment.

    One way to do this is by supporting women-owned and operated brands to help forge economic empowerment. From beauty and skincare to clothing and lifestyle products, there are plenty of incredible brands helmed by female entrepreneurs that are worth supporting.

    To help keep track of your fave women-owned and operated brands and their products, check out our search engine, StyList. With StyList, you can search for products from female-backed brands at multiple Kingsway stores and save them to a singular wishlist for future shopping reference or to share with your loved ones.

    Read on to learn more about women-owned and operated brands that deserve your attention and support this IWD and beyond.

    Shop female-owned brands

    Shop Local Love

    shop owner holding potted wreath plant

    Glass Earth Inc.

    woman holding a bouquet of flowers in front of Bud and Bloom Visual Arts Studio sign

    BUD + BLOOM

    While showing your support for women-founded brands, don’t forget to show some love for local makers, too! By shopping locally, you’re helping foster economic growth in your community.

    Local, women-owned businesses at Kingsway include Skin High, an all-inclusive open-concept facial-focused skin bar, Glass Earth Inc., a plant boutique featuring a large variety of tropical plants, succulents and more, The Makers Keep, a boutique marketplace showcasing local vendors and BUD + BLOOM, Canada’s first-ever canna-floral boutique.

    Move Female Fashion Forward

    woman wearing silver hoop earrings, ring, and diamond pendant necklace

    Paris Jewellers

    model wearing beige wool coat and sweater

    Aritzia

    As the fashion industry continues to be dominated by men, it’s now more important than ever to support female designers. After all, it shouldn’t only be males influencing what women should wear.

    Some of our fave female-owned brands at Kingsway include Paris Jewellers, a Canadian-Vietnamese sister-owned luxury company known for its wide array of jewelry, including solid gold pieces and engagement rings, Aritzia, the celeb-loved fashion giant under the helm of CEO Jennifer Wong and RW&CO., a Canadian clothing store that’s part of Reitmans, which was founded by Sarah Reitman in 1926.

    Makeup Mavens

    drawer of red, pink, purple, and brown lipsticks and lip gloss by Fenty Beauty

    Fenty Beauty

    Kosas foundation, concealer and pressed powder

    Kosas

    When it comes to the beauty industry, there is an abundance of women-founded brands that have revolutionized the way we approach cosmetics. Rea Ann Silva’s BEAUTYBLENDER single-handedly changed how we apply makeup, while Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty set new standards of inclusivity when it came to shade ranges. In the clean beauty space, Amy Liu’s Tower28 is one of very few brands designed for sensitive skin (and the only beauty brand to earn the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance), while Kosas founder Sheena Zadeh-Daly has proven that high-performing makeup that is actually good for your skin is possible. And then there’s Jen Harper’s Cheekbone Beauty, the very first Indigenous-owned and founded cosmetics company which is helping to create a space in the beauty industry where everyone, including Indigenous people, feel represented and seen. Find all these brands and more at Sephora.

    Skin Saviours

    Tatcha The Rice Wash cleanser, The Deep Cleanse face wash, The Dewy Skin cream, and The Water Cream

    Tatcha

    Supergoop Unseen Suncreen SPF 40

    Supergoop!

    If you look at your skincare closet, chances are your holy grail products are ones created by women. Take the celeb fave Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream (available at Sephora), for example, which was created by founder Vicky Tsai who aims to marry Kyoto’s age-old beauty rituals with modern skincare tech. There’s also the TikTok viral Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (available at Sephora), created by Heela Yang, and Dr. Barbara Sturm’s highly coveted Glow Drops (available at Hudson’s Bay and Sephora). And we can’t forget Supergoop!’s beloved Unseen Sunscreen (available at Sephora), created by Holly Thaggard.

    Leaders in Lifestyle

    Packages of Blume superfood latte blends

    Blume

    Green S'well Roamer and black S'well bottle with workout equipment

    S'well

    In the lifestyle space, there are several women who have made great strides in creating brands and businesses to make everyday life better. For instance, Kat Nouri’s Stasher is helping change the world one reusable silicone bag at a time, while Karen Danudjaja’s Blume is on a mission to support wellness by recreating lattes with the magic of superfoods. Then there’s Sarah Krauss, who founded eco-friendly water bottle line, S’well, which has proven sustainability can be stylish. Additionally, Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company has been a trailblazer in the consumer goods industry, empowering families to make safer and more sustainable choices. These brands are available at IndigoSpirit, another female-owned brand, that has revamped lifestyle shopping by transforming a bookstore into a “cultural department” store filled with lifestyle products, home decor, paper goods and more.

    With so many incredible women-owned brands, there are plenty of ways to inspire inclusion through your shopping choices. By consciously supporting these female-owned and operated brands, you’re contributing to an inclusive and empowered community not only during International Women’s Day, but also year-round.

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