Southcentre Mall

When supporting female-founded brands, it’s important to consider local makers. Not only does shopping locally foster a stronger sense of community, but it also supports economic growth within that community.

Some female-founded local vendors at Southcentre include Joydrop, a curated shop of female-owned jewelry brands, Drops of Gratitude, a lifestyle and wellness shop that creates products and tolls to help individuals live with more joy and fulfilment, and Oak & Tonic, a boutique that carries organic skincare and haircare products.

The beauty industry has been transformed by the efforts of countless women who, through their creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, have revolutionized the way we approach beauty and self-care.

Canadian-born Elizabeth Arden, who opened her famous spa in New York in 1910, is credited with making makeup mainstream, while Estée Lauder revolutionized the way cosmetics were sold and perceived in the 1940s and 1950s with the introduction of new innovative products and marketing techniques.

More recently, Rihanna changed the beauty industry in 2017 by launching her Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation in a whopping 40 shades (the most ever introduced in the industry at that time) and inspiring other brands to follow suit, while Glossier’s Emily Weiss disrupted the traditional beauty industry by creating a brand focused on minimalism, inclusivity and community engagement. She is also one of the first beauty entrepreneurs to recognize the power of social media in shaping the beauty industry.

Other female-founded beauty faves include Nancy Twine’s natural hair care line Briogeo, Selena Gomez’s makeup line Rare Beauty, Christine Chang and Sarah Lee’s skincare line Glow Recipe and Sheena Yaitanes’s natural cosmetics line Kosas.

Though fashion continues to be a male-dominated industry (a 2022 study by the Business of Fashion revealed that women design 40% of womenswear fashion brands and only make up about 14% of leadership positions in the industry), the impact women have had is immense.

Laura Wolstein, founder of Laura Canada, defied convention opening her clothing boutique in 1930, 10 years before women in Quebec had the right to vote. What once started as a modest Montreal boutique transformed into 140 stores across Canada and with a business with over 2,000 employees.

Similarly, Sarah Reitman founded Reitmans in 1926 with her husband, Herman. Since its modest beginnings as one women’s clothing store on Boulevard St. Laurent in Montreal, it has since evolved into one of Canada’s largest women’s specialty retailers and operates Reitmans, Penningtons and RW&Co.

Some current female fashion brand founders who are making waves include accessories designer Rebecca Minkoff, whose eponymous brand quickly gained a following for its edgy yet wearable designs and Toronto-based jewelry designer Jenny Bird whose eponymous line of modern, statement-making jewelry designs have become a celeb fave.

Women in the lifestyle space have also made big strides in introducing new perspectives and disrupting traditional norms. Harvard Business School grad, Sarah Krauss, founded the eco-friendly water bottle line, S’well, one of the most important and successful brands in the realm of sustainability today.