Boss Babes

By Anna Griffin, Editor in Chief

For International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating fierce, female founders who are paving the way running successful, eco-conscious brands that are designed to make a significant difference. As entrepreneurs, they are dedicated in their pursuit of success, but as mutually important are building their companies with sustainability, community and philanthropy as the bedrock of their foundations. Bright, brilliant and authentic, these women are the type that inspire us all to be more, reminding us that anything is possible when done with passion, vision and thoughtfulness. With sustainable fashion, beauty and lifestyle at the core of their brands, each woman featured is dedicated in her pursuit of doing business for good and contributing to a better world, selling quality products that don't compromise people, planet or style.

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Andréa Bernholtz

No stranger to fashion having been in the industry for decades, Andréa’s first line was Rock & Republic, a celebrity-favorite brand that revolutionized the denim industry through innovative fit technology. Transforming it into a comprehensive lifestyle brand, her designs captured the attention of A-list celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, who trusted Rock & Republic to be her first brand collaboration partner. Inspired by a passion for empowering women and a commitment to environmental sustainability,  Andréa founded eco-chic swimwear brand, Swiminista, focused on minimizing the ecological impact of swimwear, which evolved into DRAYA Resortwear. Embracing an eco-conscious approach, Andréa utilizes luxurious recycled fabrics, made in ethical factories using sustainable practices, for her collections, creating eco-chic swimwear and resortwear that leaves a softer footprint on the planet.

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Laura Elizabeth

Inspired by nature to create striking and non-toxic, custom jewelry, Laura Elizabeth, through her brand, Laura Elizabeth Jewelry, delivers on both fronts. Leading her woman-run business and working with female artists who create her designs into wearable works of art, she is focused on making quality pieces that are tarnish resistant, hypoallergenic and have durable qualities, without toxins such as lead and cadmium. Choosing what’s best for her customers’ health and the planet’s, each piece is made of chosen metals of sterling silver, 14 karat gold and 100% recycled brass. Inspired by nature in her designs, each piece of jewelry features unique shapes and finishes including bark, coral and starfish, creating stunning jewelry made to not only make a very unique style statement, but also to honor Mother Nature in the process. 

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Elina Sofia Wang

After suffering from stress-induced stomach ulcers and taking a year off to heal, Elina discovered whole foods, raw juices and plant-based ingredients, and the idea for ESW Beauty was born. Based on her healing journey, she was inspired to combine wellness and skincare into one brand, and with passion, creativity, and belief, she produced her first Raw Juice Cleanse Masks.  Now ESW Beauty is the #1 natural mask brand in the U.S., sold in 19k + stores, with their wellness-inspired skincare thoughtfully themed around nourishing beverages and foods. As her company grows, Elina is staying true to her mission to create dream formulas with clinical actives and juicy nourishing ingredients, created with clean, gentle formulations that are non-toxic, cruelty-free, and fully vegan.

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Claire Ellis

An itch for wanderlust inspired California girl, Claire Ellis,to head to the Côte d’Azur where her aromatic journey began in a perfumery class in Grasse, France. Based on the science that scent is the strongest trigger of memory, she began crafting fragrances reminiscent of beaches she had traveled and loved, but time spent sourcing ingredients revealed the toxic norms in the candle industry - carcinogenic wax, unsafe fragrances, & artificial additives - often hidden from consumers behind flowery descriptions and flashy packaging. If candles are meant to enhance your home & well-being, she believed there had to be a better way – one with safe, non-toxic scents inspired by the sea. In 2019, Malibu Apothecary was born, and what started as a hobby, sparked a clean candle business aimed at handcrafting coastal fragrances that give back to conservation. 

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Kathleen Plate

Known as one of the nation's leading eco accessory brands with an entire line of fashion jewelry made from post consumer bottles, glass artist and founder of  Smart Glass Jewelry, Kathleen, is committed to small-batch and artisan designs, and with her team collect empty glass bottles - beer, gin, soda and wine - from restaurants, friends, and even the occasional dumpster dive. Using a patented process that they developed - involving cutting, firing, tumbling and grinding the glass - they produce a new material for their sustainable and beautiful jewelry, resulting in stunning pieces original to the bottle's color, set against sterling silver or gold fill and brass.

Although radically transformed, Kathleen loves keeping the vessel’s original story present through to the wearer, sending each piece with a gift card that details which colors came from what bottles. As she says, “It’s a bit of alchemy that transforms a piece of trash into such a thing of beauty. And it’s why we get a small thrill with every bottle we touch.”

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Kelly Slattery

Barely Canadian, which is run by Kelly and her family, produce soft sweaters, hoodies, onesies, and other comfy apparel and accessories, to keep everyone cozy, feeling at home, and layered in color, love and acceptance. Having both fostered and adopted from foster care, she is passionate about the brand’s mission to continue to serve foster youth, and to share the gifts these deserving and brilliant kids bring to our world. Redefining premium apparel and accessories by combining unbeatable softness, sheer luxury, and sustainable practices, Barely Canadian is all about giving back through extreme softness. Sourcing and crafting their garments and accessories locally in Los Angeles, the brand uses sustainable materials that leave people feeling as good as they look, while helping foster children in-need.

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Cheree Ashley 

As a prominent figure in the substance rehabilitation industry, Cheree spent the last decade building recovery programs that have helped thousands reclaim their lives. Within that journey, she herself experienced and saw in others, the deep emotional toll that addiction takes on one’s physical appearance and self-worth. From rosacea, puffiness and dehydration, to the effects of skin picking and nutritional neglect, the journey to recovery can also be a journey back to self-love. Inspired to help, she created Osier, a clean skincare and wellness brand rooted in balance, healing, and new beginnings, with a community-focused mission to educate, motivate, and help you bring the balance back to your daily life. With bestsellers including Brighter Days Vitamin C Serum and The Recovery Ceramide Cream, skin is soft, hydrated and radiant, and balance is healthily restored.

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