As International Women’s Day (IWD) approaches, Galeries de la Capitale is excited 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 makeup and skincare to clothing and lifestyle products, there are plenty of incredible brands helmed by female entrepreneurs that are worth supporting during International Women’s Day and beyond.
To help keep track of your fave women-owned and operated brands, check out our search engine, StyList. All you have to do is make a StyList account, search for your fave products from female-owned brands at Galeries de la Capitale 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.
Move Female Fashion Forward
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 Galeries de la Capitale include Pilgrim, who has a female leader and Reitmans, the Canadian clothing store founded by Sarah Reitman in 1926 that has become one of the nation’s largest women’s specialty retailers.
Pilgrim
Makeup Mavens
Sephora
Sephora
When it comes to the beauty industry, there is an abundance of women-founded brands that have revolutionized the way we approach cosmetics. In the clean beauty space, Amy Liu’s Tower28 is one of very few brands designed for sensitive skin, 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
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, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s highly-coveted Glow Drops (available at Holt Renfrew/The Bay) and Drunk Elephant’s innovative Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser (available at Sephora) from founder Tiffany Masterson.
Sephora
Sephora
Leaders in Lifestyle
Simons
Simons
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, available at Simons.
Local Love
Maison Lavande
Maison Lavande
While showing your support for women-founded brands, don’t forget to show some love for local makers, too! Not only does shopping locally foster a stronger sense of community, but it also supports economic growth within that community.
At Galeries de la Capitale be sure to visit Maison Lavande, Reitmans and Pilgrim.
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.
