10 female-led brand worth shopping from
It's women's day every day with these fabulous brands!
Hello! 👋
I write this with zero bias and honesty when I say women-run brands score high on design and functionality. It's precisely why I go back to shopping from most of the brands and businesses I share in this post.
So, support these women-led businesses throughout the year, not just on Women's Day. 👇
Dot by Tapushi Pal & Daizy Tanwar
I have three dresses from Dot — same design, different colours. That's how much I love the label! Founded by Daizy Tanwar and Tapushi Pal, Dot works with weavers and artisans to craft its comfortable yet gorgeous clothing.
If you're a minimalist always looking for understated Indian wear, check out their signature Ghoomar Anarkalis. And then, there's their sarees. What makes me pick their clothing is the comfortable fabric, anarkalis with an eccentric flare (ghera), and stunning handwork.
If you like Dot, you'll also like what Kavana and Aaral craft.
Ekatra by Minakshi & Aishwarya Jhawar
I screamed in joy when I saw Ekatra on Shark Tank Season 2 because I've already been using and loving their pouches. Perfect travel partners! Founded by a mother-daughter duo, Minakshi & Aishwarya Jhawar, Ekatra works with craftswomen from Rajasthan. It's an entirely female-led brand that puts sustainability at the forefront of its making.
While their gift hampers are great for gifting, I recommend checking out their travel pouches, handmade notebooks and laptop sleeves. They also offer free printables worth checking out.
Also, if you like Ekatra, you'll certainly like what Kari by Kriti offers.
A Little Extra by Diksha Singhi
A Little Extra is a women-led jewellery brand that offers handcrafted jewellery. Founded by Diksha Singhi, A Little Extra works with Indian artisans to make quirky jewellery — nothing like you've seen before. I mean, sushi for earrings? Fancy yourself a pair of marigold earrings made from terracotta? This brand has a little something for everyone.
What I love about this brand is the diversity in their products — from terracotta and metal to lac and fabric, they make accessories using various materials. You'll find am-pm wear and occasional wear, too.
Black Baza Coffee by Arshiya Bose
Black Baza Coffee's Jumping Ants is so good that I recommend it to everyone seeking coffee recommendations. Arshiya Bose founded Black Baza Coffee, which offers various coffees in Arabica, Robusta, Robusta + Arabica, and Arabica with Robusta and Chicory. They roast in small batches, and their coffee is shade-grown and packed in biodegradable packaging.
Black Baza is also India’s first and only biodiversity-friendly coffee.
Jaipur Basta by Nikita Shekhawat
I've seen kurtas and home decor in Jaipur prints. But bags? None! And that's what Jaipur Basta offers. Founded by Nikita Shekhawat, this brand is known for its handcrafted cotton bags in signature Jaipur prints. If you're looking for an affordable (but Indian-made) alternative to the notoriously famous Jacquemus’s signature mini-bag Le Chiquito, check this one out.
Psst. You can carry your world in their patchwork bags.
Kiro Beauty by Vasundhara Patni
Love Kiro Beauty's packaging so much! I've never not received a "What's that beautiful packaging?" comment from friends whenever I fished out their products from my bag. Founded by Vasundhara Patni, Kiro is a cruelty-free and vegan cosmetic brand free from parabens. Their lip range (lip plumping gloss, lipsticks and multi-stick) is loaded with everything you need; the ingredients include diverse kinds of butter, vitamin E, oils, etc.
We recovered 4,642 kg of plastic from the environment, which is equal to 13,2600 lipstick containers.
If you like Kiro, you'll also love Fae Beauty and Masaba Gupta's Lovechild.
The Orby House by Shanu Agrawal, Pranjali V. & Snigdha Singh
I discovered The Orby House when a friend gifted me their adorable mugs and bowls. 😍 The founder trio Shanu Agrawal, Pranjali V. & Snigdha Singh started TOH to intrigue its users and handcraft ceramics that make an instant statement. They work with Indian artisans to offer gift hampers, scented candles, and decor accents apart from crockery.
I'm loving their Hustle Rani collection. The wine glasses are too cute!
If you liked gawking at what The Orby House makes, you'll also love Oh Yay Project and The Strange Co!
Tara Books by Gita Wolf
Want to support indie publishers? Don’t look beyond Tara Books! Founded by Gita Wolf, Tara Books is known for their range of children's books, handmade books, and spectacular collections on art, cinema, and wildlife — Tara believes in an immersive reading experience.
Much of folk and tribal art is said to have originated from women’s everyday art practices. As feminists we are interested in exploring both traditional women’s art and contemporary renderings of women’s creativity.
Three books I recommend: The Women I Could Be by Sangita Jogi, Little Girls Are Wiser Than Man by Leo Tolstoy, Hassan Zahreddine, and To Market! To Market! by Anushka Ravishankar, Emanuele Scanziani.
And, oh, they also sell quirky and illustrated cards that you can send with your gifts!
My friends love the cards I send with their gifts. 😎
Manngiri Clothing by Grishma Anand
When I stumbled upon Manngiri Clothing, their short kurtas instantly caught my eye. I love Jaipur prints, but Manngiri offers unique colours like purple, dusty rose, coral, etc, and they’re super comfortable too. Grishma Anand launched the brand after visiting Jaipur, where she watched the artisans' work.
It brings me peace to build a safe space for people who find it difficult to buy fashion that defines them because of the factors that I used to face, like size inclusivity and customisations.
This brand offers men’s wear and women’s wear.
Fix My Curls by Anshita Mehrotra
I'm a curlhead; while I don't love the curlification of the haircare industry, I love brands that offer a great moisturising shampoo, conditioner, and mask for curly hair. Fix My Curls is one such brand. While growing up, Anshita Mehrotra barely had any options for curly hair, like most of us. With FMC, she wanted to offer a clean and easy-to-use haircare range.
You can find all the good and usual suspects, like flaxseeds, honey, jojoba oil, rice protein, amino acids, etc., in their products. Plus, their hair mists are yummy!
If you’re looking for more curl range, check out Ashba Botanics and Sugarboo.
So, that was my list of 10 women-run brands from India. Which one would you like to explore? If you’ve been shopping from women-run brands, drop them in the comments.