Since 2020, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported women-owned small businesses have been more heavily impacted than male-owned small businesses by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are less likely to anticipate a strong recovery in the years ahead. This Women’s History Month, and every month, help us in supporting women-owned brands like these:
Clare Paints
When interior designer Nicole Gibbons noticed the traditional paint shopping experience was full of hassles and complications, she decided to change things herself. Gibbons launched Clare in 2018 to offer designer-curated colors, mess-free paint swatches, and the highest-quality paint and supplies, delivered. In addition, the brand’s Perfect Color Swatch makes sampling colors easy with peel & stick swatches delivered right to your door.
Fab Habitat
This rug company was founded by Kanan Gupta and her husband Suchin with the goal of bringing their family business producing mats in India to their new home in New Jersey. For over a decade the pair have committed themselves to producing Good Weave-certified products made using fair trade practices from upcycled waste materials and biodegradable natural fibers.
Yowie
Based out of Philadelphia, Yowie is a home and life shop focused on curating small collections from independent artists and designers. Pictured above, “Tiny Lamp” was designed by founder Shannon Maldonado, in collaboration with Gantri.
Beyond Buckskin
This Native-owned business was launched in 2009 by Jessica R. Metcalfe (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) as a website dedicated to showcasing and promoting Native American artists and designers. In 2012 the brand expanded to include an online boutique, created with “a desire to share our cultures with the world through fashion design,” says Metcalfe. Pictured here, the Fire and Ice Blanket, designed by Tessa Sayers (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), is inspired by Iceland, the land of fire and ice, and the home to both glaciers and volcanos.
MINNA
Part-storefront, part-studio, MINNA was founded by Sara Berks in 2013. A queer-led business, which Berks says “informs our approach to just about everything we do,” the brand works collaboratively with master artisans in Central and South America, which ensures craft preservation and job creation in these regions. Designs are informed and inspired by Feminist art, the Bauhaus, traditional craft, and vintage textiles.
BAUGHaus Design Studio
From handmade ceramics to lighting and furniture, BAUGHaus Design Studio is crafting modern decor pieces with traditional materials and influences. Founder Dana Baugh is inspired by the Caribbean, often marrying materials local to the region, such as Jamaican wood and clay, with the natural beauty of ‘very white’ porcelain.
BLK + GRN
Dr. Kristian Edwards founded BLK + GRN in 2017 with a mission to connect Black women to the “tools, resources, knowledge, and products they need to lead happier and healthier lives.” The all-natural marketplace is stocked by all Black artisans who create high-quality, toxic-free, natural products.
The Sill
Eliza Blank believes, “to be human is to experience biophilia.” She founded The Sill in 2012 to make houseplants accessible to non-horticulturists and elevate the experience beyond the local garden supply center. The brand now has stores in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston, but continue their original mission of accesible plants with their online shopping options.
Harlem Candle Company
This luxury home fragrance brand specializes in scented candles inspired by the richness of Harlem. Founded in 2014 by travel and lifestyle expert Teri Johnson, the Harlem Candle Company is “the manifestation of her love affair with fragrance, jazz, and Harlem.”
Our Place
Shiza Shahid launched this Los Angeles-based brand in 2019, hoping to create a line of cookware that would simplify home cooking while offering new heirlooms from the cultures and places that make up the fabric of the modern kitchen. The award-winning Always Pan, pictured here, is a do-it-all wonder is designed to replace 8 traditional pieces of cookware.
Nipomo
Mother and daughter team Elizabeth and Liz Clark founded Nipomo to celebrate the local craft and traditions of Mexico and California. Their colorful blankets offer modern designs made with traditional practices, allowing the brand to preserve a slice of history, art, and craft.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.