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Come for the spring shoes and flared leggings, stay for the women-run fashion brands, which offer eye-popping jewelry, must-have clogs, and all the dreamy, vintage-inspired dresses your closet has been waiting for. After all, every day is a good day to support women doing the work, whether it’s with a post on Instagram, donating to female-led nonprofits, or shopping products from their businesses.
So we rounded up the women-led fashion brands filling our carts right now. Some of them, like Universal Standard or Matteau, launched out of a need to close a gap in the market; others, like Summersalt, used data and technology to engineer products that actually fit. Here are 23 by-women, for-women fashion brands to keep on your radar—and what to buy from each.
Dôen
What do Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Busy Philipps have in common? They all love Dôen’s vintage-inspired blouses and dresses. The brand follows a “by women, for women” philosophy: It was cofounded by Katherine and Margaret Kleveland, the majority of its pieces are produced by women, and the brand works with women-oriented nonprofits like Planned Parenthood and Room to Read, which supports education and gender equality in India and Africa.
La Ligne
Former Vogue editors Valerie Macaulay and Meredith Melling teamed up with Rag & Bone’s former head of business development, Molly Howard, to launch La Ligne in 2016 out of a shared passion for timeless essentials and celebrating women in (and out of) business. The brand’s endlessly wearable collection consists of sensible basics, striped prints, and cozy sweaters. Oh, and don’t forget to check out La Bande, a series of portraits of inspiring women such as Cleo Wade, Olivia Wilde, and Paloma Elsesser in their favorite La Ligne pieces.
Monica Vinader
With her eponymous jewelry line, Monica Vinader was among the first to make relatively affordable baubles, chains, and bangles feel elevated and elegant—so it’s not a huge surprise that it’s a favorite among royals both past and present, including Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. And with a sprawling range that includes traditional designs as well as more whimsical pieces, such as this colorful gemstone necklace, Vinader offers something for everyone, royal or not.
Bea Bongiasca
Wear your art on your sleeve—or, okay, on your wrist and fingers—with Bea Bongiasca’s contemporary art-inspired designs. This Italian jewelry designer pairs gemstones (think amethyst and quartz) with enamel in eye-popping colors like neon green and turquoise to make a bold, playful statement. It’s made her line a favorite among celebs like Camila Cabello and Dua Lipa.
Lemlem
When supermodel Liya Kebede—arguably one of the top models of the 2000s—visited her native Ethiopia, she found that local weavers were losing work due to a decline in demand. That led her to create Lemlem in 2007 as a way to grow and maintain job opportunities. The brand has since expanded into swimwear and prides itself on its sustainability cred, with swimsuit fabric sourced from recycled plastic bottles and 80% of cotton being sourced locally in Africa.
Brother Vellies
Aurora James created accessories brand Brother Vellies in 2013 as a way to keep traditional African craftsmanship alive. Using sustainable materials like vegetable-tanned leathers, recycled tires, and hand-carved wood, each shoe or bag is handmade using techniques passed down from generation to generation.
JW Pei
Gigi has one. EmRata owns it too, and so does Megan Fox. That’s what happens when you make a really good purse, like the model-approved, celebrity-loved Gabbi bag. Founder Stephanie Li (along with her husband, Yang Pei) founded the line back in 2017 as a way to make fashion effortless and accessible. Clocking in at under $100 and made from vegan materials—in some cases, recycled plastic water bottles—the bags are proof of their success in doing just that.
Notte
Consider AAPI-owned jewelry brand Notte, founded by a former accessories trend forecaster Jessica Tse, an ode to the mid-aughts. The aesthetic is dreamlike, with candies, hearts, flowers, and even tiny pill capsules in the mix, with everything intended to be layered for a more-is-more effect. Ultimately, Tse’s goal was to spark happiness with her designs—and certainly, it looks as though she’s succeeded.
Anine Bing
Leave it to a model, singer, and designer Anine Bing to put a little punk back into our lives and closets. Her eponymous label takes a “rebellious approach to style,” as the brand puts it, whether that’s through menswear-inspired takes on the classics (such as a cropped button-down shirt) or a graphic tee that looks as if it’s from the merch table at a prog-rock concert.
Favorite Daughter
Sisters Erin and Sara Foster (of the reality-show satire Barely Famous) wanted to design clothes that would fit in their own closets, and they did just that when they launched their line in 2020. The clothing has evolved from loungewear-inspired basics to include a tightly edited denim assortment as well as a lineup of floral-emblazoned blouses and dresses—just in time for spring.
Soraya Hennessy
Candy colors, mixed textiles, and unexpected designs—not only are the bags from Soraya Hennessy pretty to look at, but you can feel good about what you’re wearing. Each is handmade by women of the Wayuu tribe, an indigenous community sprawled across several South American countries. Venezuelan-born founder Soraya Hennessy sought to ensure and protect their economic success with her line, which features a variety of shapes and styles.
Sensi Studio
Don’t even think about taking a vacation without stopping by Sensi Studio, which is known for its huge range of floppy Panama hats, woven bags, and clothing that looks as though it should come with a pool and margarita. Designer Stephany Sensi works with female artisans in the Andes region of Ecuador to support long-held crafting methods and to provide work for the local community.
Marina Raphael
It should come as no surprise that designer Marina Raphael is into accessories—she’s a member of the Swarovski family, after all. But rather than only mastering crystal, she’s turned her eye towards handbags, where she creates architectural-inspired handbags that make a statement. She uses materials like raffia, laser-cut leather, and yes, crystal to make bags that are truly one of a kind.
Stone and Strand
Founder Nadine Kahane wanted to replace the exclusivity of fine jewelry with a line that celebrates “affordable jewelry, female ethos, and meticulously designed, quality pieces” without the usual markup—and thus Stone and Strand was born. Not only does it make high-end jewelry accessible, but the brand has also established the Good Girl Mission, which directs a portion of profits from dedicated items to a different charity each year.
Universal Standard
The idea behind Universal Standard came to founders Alexandra Waldman and Polina Veksler from a problem that curvy women know all too well: the nearly impossible task of finding elevated essentials in plus sizes. In the years since Universal Standard’s first collection, the brand has changed the status quo with an ever-growing assortment of size-inclusive workwear, activewear, and limited edition collaborations in sizes 00 to 40.
Cuyana
Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah cofounded Cuyana, the Marie Kondo of fashion labels, back in 2013. Following a “fewer, better” ethos, the brand is known for making sturdy (but buttery-leather) totes and effortless essentials that celebrate craftsmanship, sustainability, and transparency.
Summersalt
Summersalt first caught our eye thanks to its size-inclusive offerings and commitment to sustainability—and, well, popularity on Instagram. The brand was cofounded in 2017 by Reshma Chamberlin and Lori Coulter, and the label has since expanded into intimates, sleepwear, and travel wear.
Margaux
College friends turned business partners Alexa Buckley and Sarah Pierson founded Margaux in 2015 with the goal of getting women into the right size of shoes through made-to-measure flats. Margaux first launched with a classic ballet flat but has since grown to include boots, block heels, and menswear-inspired loafers. We have a soft spot for the minimalist black mules, which you can buy in a narrow, medium, and wide fit, and in half sizes and extended sizes (from a U.S. 3 to a U.S. 14).
Hatch
Frustrated with the lack of elevated maternity clothing, Ariane Goldman founded Hatch in 2011. Over a decade later, the brand is a mainstay for simple yet stylish clothes for nursing and soon-to-be moms (although you don’t have to be expecting to want to wear its flowing dresses, versatile tops, and easy jumpsuits—like the one pictured). Not only that, but the brand is also responsible for some of the best pairs of maternity leggings in the game.
SVNR
Christina Tung, who also heads up the PR agency House Of, launched SVNR in 2018 with the intention of creating memorable jewelry that’s both beautiful and sustainable. True to form, each hair accessory, earring, or necklace is made from found, reused, upcycled, or natural materials. The necklace pictured is the kind of pastiche the brand excels at, featuring a mix of agate, quartz, and shell in a color palette inspired by the colorful seaside villages in Italy’s Cinque Terre.
Matteau
If you needed a reason to get excited about warmer weather, check out Matteau’s mix-and-match swimwear. Sisters Ilona Hamer and Peta Heinsen design no-frills tops, bottoms, and one-pieces with coverage levels to accommodate every body type. For your next beach vacation, consider the Plunge swimsuit; the cut is as comfortable as it is timeless.
Pipatchara
Bangkok-based Pipatchara Kaeojinda cofounded her namesake brand with her sister, Jittrinee, as a way to display their passion for crafting—particularly when it comes to macramé, which uses intricate knotting techniques. When paired with the more rigid structure of the handmade bags, the result looks almost like artwork, making for pieces that look as good on the arm as they do on display.
Misha Nonoo
Born in Bahrain and raised in London, Misha Nonoo, founder and CEO of her namesake label, is a fashion designer known for her emphasis on sustainability. An early adopter of the direct-to-consumer model, Misha Nonoo creates timeless pieces for women on the go, like her signature white button-up which can be customized with buttons and monograms.