Who run the world? Girls.
March 8 marks International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It’s a day to recognize the efforts and struggles of women everywhere — from the suffragettes who fought for our right to vote, to the female pioneers who shattered glass ceilings in every industry.
One great way to honour these women’s legacies is by supporting female-owned brands. From cosmetics to clothing and accessories, female entrepreneurs have been disrupting industries and creating innovative products for everyone to enjoy. Read on to discover some of the most inspiring female-owned brands that deserve your attention and support this IWD and beyond.
And while you’re at it, be sure to make use of our search engine tool, StyList, to keep track of your favourite female-owned brands and their product offerings. With StyList, you can search multiple stores at Southcentre and save any items you love to a singular wishlist for future shopping reference. Supporting female entrepreneurs never looked so good.
Local Love
Image Gallery
![An up close shot of two hands holding two products Oak & Tonic in front of a body of water.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Oak-Tonic-1.jpg)
Oak & Tonic
![An up close view of a person wearing layered gold necklaces from Joydrop.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Joydrop-1.jpg)
Joydrop
![A stone bracelet is in a white box alongside white flowers.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Drops-of-Gratitude-.jpg)
Drops of Gratitude
![A dark haired woman holds a beauty product close to her face.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Oak-Tonic-2.jpg)
Oak & Tonic
![A dark haired woman is wearing a gold necklace.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Joydrop-2.jpg)
Joydrop
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.
Beauty Bosses
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![Various Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin products are laid out on a light background.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Fenty-Beauty-1.jpg)
Fenty Beauty at Sephora
![Estee Lauder creme sits on a counter alongside a white candle.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Estee-Lauder-1.jpg)
Estée Lauder at The Bay
![Mangos and Glossier lip products rest on a light pink Glossier branded fruit bag.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Glossier-1.jpg)
Glossier at Sephora
![Estee Lauder perfume, lipstick, and creme are displayed on a light pink background.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Estee-Lauder-2.jpg)
Estée Lauder at The Bay
![A Glossier makeup bag sits on a bathroom countertop alongside other Glossier products and two cups of tea.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Glossier-2.jpg)
Glossier at Sephora
![Various skin shades of Fenty Beauty bronzer are displayed on a rust orange background.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Fenty-2.jpg)
Fenty Beauty at Sephora
![Multiple shades of Glossier lip products are lined up in a bathroom vanity cabinet.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Glossier-3.jpg)
Glossier at Sephora
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.
Female-Founded Fashion
Image Gallery
![A dark haired woman models Jenny Bird jewelry.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Jenny-Bird-1.jpg)
Jenny Bird at Joydrop
![A dark haired woman wears a creme coloured tank top and denim jeans from Laura.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Laura-1.jpg)
Laura
![A tan RW&Co coat rests on top of other clothing.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/rwco.jpg)
RW&Co.
![A woman's torso can be seen modeling a Rebecca Minkoff neon green bag.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Rebecca-Minkoff-1.jpg)
Rebecca Minkoff at Blu's
![Two pairs of Jenny Bird hoop earrings are laid out. One pair is gold, the other is silver.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Jenny-Bird-2.jpg)
Jenny Bird at Joydrop
![A dark haired woman models a floral pink dress from Laura.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Laura-2.jpg)
Laura
![A woman is bending at the knee modeling a Rebecca Minkoff blue checkered bag. Her jacket matches the bag.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Rebecca-Minkoff-2.jpg)
Rebecca Minkoff at Blu's
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.
Ladies of Lifestyle
Image Gallery
![Three different colours of S'Well water bottles are accompanied by workout equipment.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Swell-1.jpg)
S'well at The Bay
![Three different sized S'well water bottles are all the same black to silver ombre design.](https://southcentremall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Swell-2.jpg)
S'well at The Bay
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.
With so many female-owned brands on the market, we hope you continue to support these founders and entrepreneurs year-round.