Even though fashion is often associated with women and femininity, the majority of those who own fashion brands, are men. Luckily, now more than ever, more and more women are beginning to break out. They are running their own brands, and speaking out about the mistreatment of women in the fashion industry, as while most of those at the helm are men, the majority of those employed in lower positions are women.
To celebrate women in fashion, here are six women-owned and operated brands that are making waves.
- Chanel
Chanel, known for revolutionizing fashion by using men’s styles to inspire their clothes and daring to make women’s haute couture functional, is the epitome of luxury and fashion. It’s hard to think of luxury and not think of Chanel, those two Cs crossed over one another on handbags, clothes, perfume, and makeup.
Founded by French fashion designer Coco Chanel in 1910, the eponymous brand is keeping its legacy of being woman-led by appointing Leena Nair at the helm as CEO in 2021, and Virginie Viard taking over as creative director from Karl Lagerfeld in 2019.
- Wales Bonner
Launched in 2014 by Grace Wales-Bonner, this eponymous fashion brand originally only specialized in menswear. Since then, Wales Bonner has gone on to expand to include womenswear, art installations, and has also won many of fashion’s top awards including, CFDA Award for International Men’s Designer of the Year and Independent British Brand at the Fashion Awards, among many others.
According to her website her “work proposes a distinct notion of cultural luxury that infuses European heritage with an Afro Atlantic spirit.”
- Khaite
You may have first heard of the brand Khaite in 2019, when a photo of Katie Holmes went viral. She was in Manhattan hailing a taxi, while wearing a brown cashmere cardigan and matching bra. While Khaite has an extensive list of celebrities they’ve dressed, this candid, unplanned photo was what put them on the map.
Founded in 2016 by creative director Catherine Holstein, she wanted to create a brand that celebrated the basics and go-to essentials while still having a luxury feel. Something that you could mix and match and not feel like you had to treat luxury clothing like a piece of art, but rather, a casual keepsake.
- Zimmermann
Founded in 1991 by sisters Nicki and Simone Zimmermann, this Australian swimwear and special summer occasion fashion brand has taken the world by storm. The clothes, originally made by Nicki out of her parents’ garage and sold at Sydney’s Paddington Market, has now gone on to include celebrities like Kate Middleton, who wore a white Zimmermann dress in a now viral photo during a trip to Australia in 2014, Margot Robbie, and Beyonce among their clientele.
In an incredible first, after a private equity acquisition, Zimmermann became Australia’s first billion-dollar fashion label, allowing the brand to speed up its expansion around the world. Although they are no longer majority stakeholders, the sisters are remaining at the helm of the company, keeping the fashion house’s values at the forefront.
- Michelle Waugh
Originally from Canada, Michelle Waugh found her inspiration and love for fashion during a trip to New York as a pre-teen. Unlike the other designers on this list, Michelle Waugh never went to design school, and got most of her experience from her job at Dior while she was attending law school.
The brand, now based out of New York, focuses on luxury outerwear, creating women’s outerwear using men’s styles, thus resulting in an androgynous but still feminine look. Made in Italy using sustainably sourced materials, Michelle Waugh pieces have been worn by celebrities including Evan Chen, Drew Barrymore, and Michelle Obama.
- Christie Brown
This Ghanaian based fashion brand founded in 2008 by creative director Aisha Ayensu was named after Aisha Ayensu’s grandmother, a seamstress herself. Inspired by, and celebrating the African women who came before and paved the way for Aisha Ayensu, the brand is characterized by colourful prints and intricately woven fabric.
A trailblazer of sustainable fashion in Ghana, Christie Brown is a member of the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre.
Elixuer Team | Staff Writer
