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 Hillcrest 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
![A light pink and white flower arrangement in a container that says Blossom Moments.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Blossom-Moments-1.jpg)
Blossom Moments
![A young girl in a pink dress from Hunter & Shaye holding a pink balloon.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Hunter-Shaye-2.jpg)
Hunter & Shaye
![An icecream bar on a stick surrounded by ingredients from Palett America.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-PalettAmerica-1.jpg)
PalettAmerica
![Light pink and red roses in a heart shaped box from Blossom Moments.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Blossom-Moments-2.jpg)
Blossom Moments
![A young girl looks over her shoulder while wearing a light pink jumpsuit from Hunter & Shaye.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-Hunter-Shaye-1.jpg)
Hunter & Shaye
![A person's hand is holding an ice cream bar on a stick with a background showing a cityscape.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Local-PalettAmerica-2.jpg)
PalettAmerica
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 vendors at Hillcrest include Blossom Moments, a one-stop shop for gorgeous bouquets, Hunter & Shaye, an enchanted and unique multi-brand children’s store that carries casual to formal wear for children, Jill Yoga, offering the latest in quality, fashionable yoga, and activewear, and PalettAmerica, a gourmet gelato shop featuring tasty, handcrafted Palettas with multiple flavours to choose from.
Beauty Bosses
Image Gallery
![A flat lay image of beauty and skin products from Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin by Rihanna.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Fenty-Beauty-1.jpg)
Fenty Beauty at Sephora
![Mangos and Glossier beauty products are positioned in a pink Glossier fruit bag.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Glossier-1.jpg)
Glossier at Sephora
![Estee Lauder lipstick, face cream, and perfume are posed on a light pink background.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Estee-Lauder-2.jpg)
Estée Lauder at The Bay
![On a rusty orange beackground, various skin shades of Fenty Beauty bronzer are showcased.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Fenty-2.jpg)
Fenty Beauty at Sephora
![A Glossier make up bag is positioned on a bathroom counter top alongside cups of tea and other Glossier products.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Glossier-2.jpg)
Glossier at Sephora
![Estee Lauder face cream is showcased alongside a white candle on a white background.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Beauty-Bosses-Estee-Lauder-1.jpg)
Estée Lauder at The Bay
![Various shades of Glossier's lipgloss are on display in a bathroom cabinet.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/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
![An RW&Co. camel coloured coat is featured laying on top of other clothing.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/rwco.jpg)
RW&Co.
![A dark haired woman wears a cream coloured tank top and denim jeans from Laura.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Laura-1.jpg)
Laura
![A woman's torso is visible holding a neon green Rebecca Minkoff bag.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Rebecca-Minkoff-1.jpg)
Rebecca Minkoff at The Bay
![A dark haired woman is wearing a floral, light pink dress from Laura.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Laura-2.jpg)
Laura
![A woman is bending down and holding a blue checkered purse from Rebecca Minkoff. Her jacket matches the bag.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Female-Founded-Fashion-Rebecca-Minkoff-2.jpg)
Rebecca Minkoff at The Bay
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, the founder of Laura Canada, defied convention by 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 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.
A current female fashion brand founder who is making a statement is accessories designer Rebecca Minkoff, whose eponymous brand quickly gained a following for its edgy yet wearable designs.
Ladies of Lifestyle
Image Gallery
![Various pots and pans from Our Place are on display in a retro inspired kitchen wall.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Our-Place-2.jpg)
Our Place at Indigo
![Three S'Well water bottles of different designs are positioned alongside workout equipment.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Swell-1.jpg)
S'well at The Bay
![Three books from Indigo are laid out on a white duvet.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Indigo-2.jpg)
Indigo
![A woman is holding an Our Place pan to the left of a retro inspired display wall of other products.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Our-Place-1.jpg)
Our Place at Indigo
![Three various sizes of S'Well water bottles in the same black to silver ombre colour are positioned on a countertop.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Swell-2.jpg)
S'well at The Bay
![Three different books are laid out on a white duvet.](https://hillcrestmall.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ladies-of-Lifestyle-Indigo-1.jpg)
Indigo
Women in the lifestyle space have also made big strides in introducing new perspectives and disrupting traditional norms. Heather Reisman, founder, chair and CEO of Indigo, has singlehandedly revamped lifestyle shopping by transforming a bookstore into a one-stop shop for everything lifestyle, including home décor, paper goods, games, fashion accessories and children’s toys. Then there’s Harvard Business School grad, Sarah Krauss, who founded eco-friendly water bottle line, S’well, one of the most important and successful brands in the realm of sustainability today. And we can’t forget about Shiza Shahid, the woman behind Our Place’s viral Always Pan that once garnered a 30,000-person waitlist!
With so many female-owned brands on the market, we hope you continue to support these founders and entrepreneurs year-round.