Aussie women running their own fashion and beauty empires
Let's celebrate these fashion and beauty queens and the beauty empires they've created.
Women running their own businesses. Those words are basically a love language to me. Not only do I love supporting these businesses, but I also find them incredibly inspiring.
To celebrate International Women's Day I've rounded up some incredible Aussie women who have launched their own fashion and beauty businesses. A fair few of these queens also run their own podcasts, books and a bunch more side hustles too so do check them out in all their guises. Like I said, QUEENS.
1. Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott: Jagger and Stone
"We made Jagger & Stone for the bad girls. For the girls that are always the last to leave the party & the girls who never let an early night get in the way of a good story."
Lucy Jackson and Nikki Westcott are the gals you need to know. From funky festival get-ups to relaxed loungewear, this dynamic duo have nailed every look in their now established brand, Jagger & Stone.
Jagger & Stone is for women who enjoy a bit of edge in their wardrobe. Think animal prints, leather, and unique cuts and styles.
These lovely ladies also have their own Podcast (which I highly recommend) and recently launched their own wine label, Jackson West. What more could a gal want?
Where to Buy:
- Princess Polly
- THE ICONIC
- General Pants Co.
2. Riley Hemson: Remmie By Riley
"To all my plus size besties out there, I'm with you - we deserve better. We deserve to be seen and heard. We deserve to be included. Clothes are meant to fit YOU, you're not meant to fit into the clothes."
Riley Hemson is a NZ model, podcaster and all-round power house living it up on the Gold Coast.
Riley is a huge voice in the body positivity and inclusion conversation. She created Remmie By Riley after feeling frustration with the lack of activewear for ALL bodies. Riley noticed the lack of inclusive activewear that offered the right amount of support and comfort alongside flattering, clean cuts. The label has one of the most impressive size ranges starting at an XS and finishing at 6XL.
Remmie by Riley doesn't treat inclusive sizing as an afterthought but ensures that every shape and size feels seen but most importantly, sexy.
Where to buy:
3. Lucy Wark & Georgia Grace: Normal
"There's no 'correct' way to enjoy sexuality: our bodies, desires and experiences all make us unique."
Lucy Wark and Georgia Grace came together to create a brand that made exploring sexuality easier. The pair created Normal in an effort to initiate more conversation around sexual wellness that is fun, inclusive, easy to understand and most importantly, stigma free.
Normal products are sleek sex toys that you'd be happy to display on your bed-side table. However not only are their products are vibe (sorry I had to make the joke) but the brand goes further into sex education with a range of sexual wellness guides and articles on intimacy and partnership, designed by Georgia Grace.
Where to buy:
4. Lily Ahenkan: Flex Factory
"There are no male figures in my lineage where I'm like, 'Oh, you run this sh***.' No. It's my grandma, my auntie, my mum. They run this sh***."
Lil Ahenkan, most commonly known as Flex Mami is the soul behind the brand Flex Factory. Think unique accessories and clothing that will definitely grab attention. She has even created a card game called Reflex, which promises to kill off boring small talk at your next social gathering.
Flex Mami makes fun stuff...just because she can. Seriously, if you've signed up to her close friends story you'd know this already.
This absolute queen also just wrote a book called The Success Experiment on how you can conceptualise, create and achieve meaningful success.
I also recommend following her on Instagram because it's straight-up QUALITY content. Quality with a big ol' capital Q!
Where to buy:
5. Rowi Singh: Embellish By Rowi
"Everyone has their own purpose and everyone's beautifully unique. Beauty trends come and go, and we try to fit ourselves into these trends... but at the end of the day, just do you."
You've likely seen Rowi Singh's incredibly makeup creations on you social feed. To say she's a talented makeup artist feels like an understatement.
Rowi has collaborated with a few fashion and beauty brands in the past such as her iconic Mountain & Moon collection. However, this year she's officially founded her own brand, Embellish By Rowi - face accessories for makeup elevation.
With creative makeup reaching new heights thanks to shows like Euphoria and platforms like TikTok, Embellish By Rowi introduces a fun and non-intimidating way to step out of your comfort zone and experiment with your own beauty looks.
6. Zoe Foster-Blake: Go-to Skincare
"You're allowed to work hard and have good things and do good things"
I cannot lie, I am 100% completely and utterly obsessed with Zoe Foster-Blake.
Her book The Break-up Boss single-handedly got me through my first break up and her skincare line, Go-to, gets me through my breakouts.
She is also the founder of Gro-to skincare and Bro-to skincare, which are for wee babies and men respectively. Zoe is also the wearer of many hats: blogging, writing romance fiction and books on makeup and skincare as well as being an absolute boss.
Zoe's beauty brand Go-to is one of the most popular skincare brands out there, and if that wasn't enough, she discontinued two key products in her line as she didn't believe they were inclusive enough. What a woman!
When I grow up I want to be Zoe Foster-Blake.
Where to buy:
MECCA
7. Rachel Motteram and Jameen Zalfen: Dyspnea
Dyspnea is basically the hot-human brand on the gram. They're pieces are unlike anything else you'll find and are the definition of dopamine dressing.
Rachel and Jameen met at TAFE studying Advanced Fashion & Textiles in Perth, Western Australia and have been besties since. They started their brand in 2015 with the goal to make clothing that 'takes your breath away'.
Dyspnea is sustainable, inclusive and HOT. The items are made to order and hand-beaded so you're getting incredible quality every damn time.
Where to buy:
8. Tammy Hembrow: Saski Collection
"It's okay to have an early night when you need it, run a relaxing bubble bath or hire a babysitter for date night - I do!"
Fitness mentor and social media mogul Tammy Hembrow has a whopping 11.8 million followers on Instagram. She shares her life as a mum as well as her fitness secrets. Thanks to that it's a no-brainer that this Instagram star launched her own dynamic activewear label Saski Collection.
Saski Collection stocks "squat proof" activewear, gorgeous swimwear and even loungewear too! The brand even had its own runway at New York Fashion week.
Tammy also launched her app TammyFit which has over 55,000 downloads and saw a giant 94% growth within 3 months when it launched in March 2020.
Where to buy:
9. Laura Byrne: ToniMay
"Women go further in life when they're supporting each other."
You may recognise Laura Bryne from The Bachelor franchise but this woman is a hell of a lot more than a reality TV star or "the woman who stole Matty J's heart".
Laura has owned her own jewellery label ToniMay for years which features handcrafted jewels, designs based on wanderlust and bohemian vibes.
She also has her own podcast called Life Uncut with her bachie bestie, Brittany Hockley. They discuss "all things love, life, lust & a bunch of other stuff."
Where to buy:
10. Bree Johnson and Jess Hatzis: Frank Body
"I think it's about celebrating women's success without segregating women. We look forward to seeing a day where we're not just 'female entrepreneurs'."
Frank Body is the Insta-brand of all Insta-brands. This is a booming skincare label that has skyrocketed to success on the gram and founded by Bree Johnson and Jess Hatzis.
These queens have created an incredible, fun and flirty business model that introduced the world to "Frank".
The idea for Frank Body came about by chance, after these two Queens asked a coffee shop owner if they could have leftover coffee beans to use as a body exfoliant. From those humble beginnings, Bree and Jess now run a globally recognised brand.
Where to buy:
- MECCA
- Frank Body
11. Sammy Robinson: One Mile
"Just do you. Everyone else is already taken. There is no point being someone that you're not, it sounds cliche but truly people will be able to tell if you're in it for the wrong reasons or if you're being fake for the fame."
Sammy Robinson is the Australian sweetheart of fashion influencers. I've been following her for longer than I can remember.
She has collaborated with a few brands like Princess Polly in the past but on 4 May 2020, Sammy jumped fully into the fashion game and released her much-anticipated brand, One Mile. Sammy's basics are luxe; think boho-chic meets city style. There is something for just about everyone in One Mile and Sammy's style shines through in these high-quality pieces.
Where to buy:
Women are as cool as hell. That is all. Goodbye.