Women Owned Brands: Holiday Gift Guide 2020
Every year I post holiday gift idea guides (check out past years here) but I like to feature small, independent brands so you can discover some cool ideas you might not have thought of on your own. This year I’m featuring BIPOC owned brands, woman-owned brands, ethical and sustainable brands, and artists in my gift guides.
I don’t have to tell you how much small businesses need our support this year, so I hope getting all these guides about before Shop Small Saturday will give you time to shop early, and — of course! — shop small. Enjoy!
Chunks
Chunks is a hair accessories brand, and all their products are made from acetate, which is a super-durable plant-based material that can be recycled, unlike most plastic and acrylic jewelry. The owner, Tiffany Ju proudly produces her products in China because she wants to actively fight back against the negative assumptions about Chinese manufacturing, and use their products as an opportunity to create meaningful change in production standards in China. Chunks does super cute clips and barrettes, in really colorful and fun styles.
Able Shoppe
Liv is the artist and creator behind the vintage brand, Able Shoppe. You can hear me interview her for Pre-Loved Podcast here! These ceramic earrings are Liv’s signature handmade item. She makes SO many different colors, and each earring is made-to-order, by hand, by Liv.
The News Flash
Alright, shameless plug, but I’ve just launched a Pre-Loved Podcast Patreon, and one of the tiers is for a subscription to The News Flash, a bi-monthly podcast about all that’s new and noteworthy in the second-hand industry. For $60/year, you could gift a subscription for the vintage-lover in your life!
Cocokind
Cocokind is a conscious, clean-beauty brand, founded by Priscilla Tsai. They have a category on their website for their most popular products, and of those, I think you can make a really fun gift option. Their organic Chlorophyll mask, Chia face oil, Matcha mask, and Coffee scrub, for example, would make a super fun combination.
Our Place
Our Place, founded by Shiza Shahid, is famous for their Always Pan, which serves eight cooking functions: steamer & strainer, sautee pan, sauce pan, skillet, fry pan, non-stick pan, and spoon rest. This would be a perfect gift for a new foodie, or someone living on their own for the first time. The products are designed in LA, and produced in an ethical, female-owned factory in China that pays above living-wage and benefits.
ARQ
Abigail Quist actually founded ARQ as a children’s clothing line, but soon realized that functional, organic cotton base-layers would become the focus of her brand and she could expand to all ages. They now do GOTS-certified organic bras, tanks, undies, bloomers, and briefs for baby, toddler, youth, and adults. ARQ contracts with a family-owned sewing factory in the United States to produce each garment ethically and sustainably. Who doesn’t need a great, comfy basic like these?!
Makana
Makana means “gift” in Hawaiian, and owner Romely Levezow says she prescribes to the traditional Hawaiian beliefs that ‘people, animals, and the land do not exist independently of one another, rather, all of our destinies are intertwined.’ These candles are handcrafted in Laguna Beach, using simple, sustainable ingredients – 100% soy wax, phthalate-free fragrance and essential oils, and lead-free cotton wicking. My personal favorite is the Tea Leaf candle, closely followed by Grapefruit Lychee, but if these are any indication, I know all the options must be lovely!
Sweet Reason
Sweet Reason is a hemp and cannabis beverage company, owned by Hilary McCain. Sweet Reason does CBD sparkling water with 10mg hemp and no added sugar or additives. But my personal favorite is their Evening Blend, which is a 30mg version, meant to be a relaxing, alcohol-alternative, evening blend CBD beverage. I love the Plum Blush flavor, but Sweet Reason does sampler packs of both varieties of drink so you can gift a variety. They also donate 1% of their sales to mental health research and initiatives. You can get 10% off your order with my discount code, EMILYM.
Glossier
Glossier is a skincare and beauty brand, owned by Emily Weiss. They specialize in minimal, easy-to-use makeup, so you really can’t go wrong. But if you want some ideas, my everyday favorite of their products are: Balm Dot Calm, Future Dew, Cloud Paint, Lash Slick, Boy Brow, Stretch Concealer, and Glossier You perfume. They also do skincare and beauty “edits” so these could make a great giftable option.
I’m a Glossier affiliate, so you can use this link if you’d like me to get a little kick-back (no cost to you) from your purchase.
