NOT ONLY DO WE TAKE PRIDE IN CELEBRATING FEMALE TALENTS IN ALL CREATIVE WORLDS, BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO ALSO SPOTLIGHT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. WE BELIEVE THAT GIRLS WILL INVENT THE FUTURE IN ALL FORMS OF INDUSTRY BY CREATING JOBS, INFLUENCING CULTURE AND MARKET/ECONOMY AND PROVIDING OPEN PATHS TO THE NEXT GENERATIONS. IN THIS MONTH’S ROUND-UP WE TAKE PLEASURE IN INTRODUCING THESE FIVE SMALL BUSINESSES FOUNDED BY SMART, PASSIONATE AND HARD WORKING WOMEN.

@LARAINTIMATES

Based in East London, the UK brand Lara Intimates believes that success equals profit, people and the planet. Those three elements must exist for their business. The two founders Faith Leeves and Cindy Liberman met at London College of Fashion and both worked in the lingerie industry. After visiting factories abroad, they both realized how the fashion industry was producing a negative impact in the environment. They launched Lara Intimates in 2016 to build a business and an intimates brand that actually, really fits all women and built from sustainable practices and quality.

Lara Intimates: limited edition lace briefs

@LUCIAZOLEA

Lucia Zolea is one entrepreneur who proves that you don’t need mountains of seed funding to run a good, quality business. She’s made thrifted and vintage pieces not only extremely covetable, but was one of the earliest slow fashion shops to catch my eye on Instagram a few years back. With her skill in finding one-of-a-kind vintage items and thrifted gems, she has always used practical imagery w/real girls and not agency models and shooting everything herself. When you shop at Lucia Zolea it’s not for trend driven pieces, rather there’s always something that suits your personal style.

Vintage Yves Saint Laurent cashmere angora blazer

@BREAKFASTCLUBTOKYO

In Meguro, Tokyo sits a lovely cafe that serves breakfast all day long as well as other delectable dishes that Luli Shioi, better known as “Mama Luli" cooks up in not in gourmet fanfare, but that comfort diner vibe. As told to The Cut, she opened Breakfast Club as a “home base” for her friends and family, some of whom don’t live in the U.S. It’s an all-day breakfast place where Shioi can hang with her friend group of artists, musicians, and cool teenagers with multiple side hustles.” It’s been well known with the cool crowd of musicians, filmsters, hipsters, artists and well known faces like Spike Jonze is a regular.

@BUILDINGBLOCK

Founders and sisters Kimberly and Nancy Wu are mastering the art of minimalist accessories. The Los Angeles brand has a definite cult following that is artfully minded. You would assume by the architectural designs that either or both of the designers have history in the field. However Kimberly came from the automotive industry as a designer and Nancy was designing for Nike. Through both of their design backgrounds, they understand pairing monochromatic colors with PVC and how shape can be functional and timeless.

@PEOPLEIVELOVED

People I’ve Loved is a collective of artists, illustrators running a small cool printing shop in Oakland, California. Currently, People I've Loved is Carissa Potter, Loretta Haskell, Amberly Largusa, Alba Castillo, Emily Gui, Alicia Cardell, & Al Huron. You’ve probably liked a few of their prints and work on Instagram. They’ve created work for Anthropologie, Chronicle Books, Pinterest, Madewell, Nylon, The Wall Street Journal and The Body Shop to name a few. The group specializes in hand-printed and assembled objects and are inspired by very relatable moods, topics, and most of all, people.