In case you haven't heard, either from us or one of the many exceptional women in your life, it's Women's History Month, the one month a year when women and only women get the spotlight firmly planted on them. To mark the occasion, I plan on spending the rest of the month treating myself to a bit of shopping (shocker), and this year—for once in my life—I have set a few strict guidelines.
Really, there's just one self-imposed rule on this month's agenda: only shop brands that are owned by women. That way, I can contribute to moving the needle in the fashion industry, where, according to a Business of Fashion survey, only 14% of 50 major fashion brands are run by women, despite them making up the majority of fashion-school enrollments and entry-level fashion positions. That being said, there are still plenty of shockingly good options on the market that stem from the creative and business-savvy minds of women in fashion, with standout designers including Catherine Holstein, Tory Burch, Aurora James, and, of course, the matriarch in all our hearts, Miuccia Prada.
To further keep my shopping day on track, I chose to focus on one retailer that I know is stocked full of pieces by women-owned brands. Without further ado, shop the 28 women-owned finds from Nordstrom on my Women's History Month consideration list. After looking them over one last time, I get the feeling they'll be on yours, too.
Practically everyBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing editor owns a pair of these or some other Jenny Bird earrings. But the Canadian jewelry designer isn't just beloved by our team—celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Selena Gomez adore her pieces, too.
I don't have to tell you the story behind Skims, Kim Kardashian's cult-favorite basics and shapewear brand. Though her bras and thongs are hard to resist, nothing from the line is as tempting as the classic tees, which are perfectly fitted and baby-soft.
Another Kardashian-owned brand is Good American, the size-inclusive denim label founded by Khloé Kardashian and entrepreneur turned Shark Tank investor Emma Grede. A roaring success, the brand drops 10/10 denim silhouettes season after season, all of which are available in sizes 00 to 32 plus.
At the moment, Tory Burch is one of the most talked-about and praised female designers in fashion, with her recent runway collections ringing in a new era for her 20-year-old brand.
Filipino American designer Josie Natori founded her lifestyle brand, most known for its lingerie, in 1977 after leaving a cushy Wall Street job as Merrill Lynch's first-ever female vice president of investment banking. And just like her finance career, her brand is a roaring success.
Founded by Catherine Holstein in 2016, Khaite has relatively quickly made a name for itself in New York City, with its elegant-with-a-twist garments and viral handbags regularly being worn by the city's best dressed crowd and its runway shows being among New York Fashion Week's most anticipated.
Jamaican-born designer Rachel Scott launched her brand of meticulously crafted crochet garments in 2020 under the name Diotima after years of working for companies such as J. Mendel, Elizabeth and James, and Rachel Comey. Her pieces have long been sold at retailers like Ssense and Moda Operandi, withReplica Store recently buying a small range that will hopefully grow with every season.
Kim Kardashian's cult-famous shapewear brand Skims has its fair share of viral items, among them being this cotton tee, which is shockingly not sold out right now atReplica Store.
New York based lingerie brand Hanky Panky was founded in 1977 by Lida Orzeck and Gale Epstein and has since sold over 45 million pairs of its famous Original Rise Thong, which is lauded for feeling invisible.
Sarah Staudinger co-founded her L.A.-based brand alongside George Augusto in 2015 in an effort to design clothing for women that combined accessibility with style. In the nine years since, she's built up a cult-like following that stretches far past the Los Angeles city limits.
Though originally founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, Prada is now synonymous with its co creative director and owner Miuccia Prada. Miuccia Prada took over the company in 1978 from her mother, Luisa Prada. Miuccia built it back up with husband Patrizio Bertelli, starting with its now-iconic use of nylon for its bags. Today, she designs alongside Raf Simons, putting out collections that influence the whole of fashion and culture.
Emily Adams Bode Aujla founded her namesake menswear (now womenswear and beyond) brand Bode in 2016 with the goal of swaying consumers to shop more intentionally. Each piece she designs draws on her personal archive of vintage materials and antiques, according to an interview she did with Nordstrom ahead of the brand's new dedicated storefront in The Corner, an area in the retailer's NYC flagship. "We incorporate those hand-making traditions and personal narratives in each garment."
One of Instagram's favorite brands, Jasmin Larian Hekmat's Cult Gaia was founded in 2012 in Los Angeles and grew to fame with its Ark Bag, an almost architectural wooden purse that thousands sat patiently on the waiting list for. Today, her designs continue to awe fans of the brand, with everything from feathers to jewelry-like hardware contributing to its success.
French influencer and fashion consultant Chloé Harrouche launched her brand Loulou Studio, named after her social media handle @louloudesaison, in 2019 with the intent to create wardrobe essentials that she'd long struggled to find elsewhere. In the years since, her pieces have become staples in many a fashion person's closet, specifically her knits, outerwear, and trousers.
Tory Burch's jewelry isn't always what people associate with the brand, but this season's offering especially is worth taking a second look at.
Norma Kamali started her namesake brand back in 1967 and, in the decades since, has made quite the name for herself in fashion. Most known for inventing the Sleeping Bag Coat, beloved by the late André Leon Talley and recently worn by Rihanna at the 2023 Super Bowl, Kamali has an eye for designing pieces that people want to wear and wear a lot.
Rebecca Allen's namesake footwear brand was founded to allow people of color the ability to buy and wear nude shoes that actually match their skin tone after decades of the "nude" colorway oftentimes being associated with only white tones. Every pair of Allen's shoes is crafted in Brazil with the very best materials so that they last no matter how often you wear them.
Grace Wales Bonner started her brand Wales Bonner in 2014 as a menswear brand, quickly becoming favored for her brilliant tailoring and ability to mix colors and prints in a casual-cool way. Fortunately for her female fans, the 2016 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers recipient recently began designing for women as well as men, while at the same time collaborating with Adidas on one of the brand's most popular sneaker offerings yet. (Check StockX for proof.)
Hanky Panky's thongs might be the brand's most famous item, but its bralettes are seriously slept on. Trust me. I own way too many of them. (Just kidding—I can always use another.)
Aurora James created her footwear and accessory brand, Brother Vellies, in 2013 to support artisan communities in Africa and bring traditional African craftsmanship to a wider audience. The founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge has done just that, with everyone from Beyoncé to Zendaya having worn pieces from the brand.
More so than accessories, Khaite's Holstein is known for her exceptional denim offering, specifically the Danielle jeans, which are all over TikTok.
Established by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in 2006, The Row places emphasis on luxury in every way, from the fabrics its beloved pieces are made of to the way the brand markets itself.
Miami-based creatives Cristy Mantilla and Duda Teixeira never thought their jewelry brand Éliou would be the internet sensation it is today, but after their years of working together as stylists and designers, the brand was destined for success. From the beginning, their marine-inspired earrings and necklaces were prone to sellouts, but it wasn't until Harry Styles's stylist, Harry Lambert, started accessorizing the singer in its pieces that the brand really blew up.
Joyce Azria, the daughter of famed designer Max Azria, founded her brand Avec Les Filles—or "with the girls" in French—in 2017. According to an interview in the Los Angeles Times, she wanted to create clothing that felt "a little charming and special" but also wearable. Most importantly, the brand had to be affordable.
Deirdre Quinn, Shun Yen Siu, and Ida Siu founded Lafayette 148, named after the NYC address where it got its start, in 1996 with the intention to make clothes for women, by women. Quality is key for the brand, with only the best materials—think cashmere, genuine leather, silk, and linen—being used to craft its timeless and elegant ready-to-wear and accessories.
Israeli American designer Nili Lotan built up quite the résumé while working at Ralph Lauren and Nautica in New York City before going off on her own in 2003, launching her namesake brand in the process. The perfect balance of preppy and sophisticated, her designs have the kind of timeless appeal many designers work their entire careers to grasp.
Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel started small and simple with their accessory brand Mansur Gavriel. Even so, it wasn't long before their totes and bucket bags took off in the fashion community and beyond.
Founded by Prada owner Miuccia Prada, Miu Miu is often referred to as Prada's little-sister brand; though, it certainly doesn't live in its sibling's shadow. From its micro miniskirts and satin ballet flats to its roughed-up leatherwear and buckle moto boots, Prada time and again delivers viral designs that send the fashion world shopping.
This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
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