So far, we have attended two prominent trade shows this year, NY NOW and the Las Vegas Magic Show. If you are a consumer product business, attending trade shows are a tremendous help to your business. Read our past post about which trade shows you should attend in 2020, here.
At meixu.com, we’re in the business of supporting women, and we’ve found many women who own their own businesses. It is the category of women-owned and operated that we see the most growth. How many women brands began their introduction with this claim? Read about these innovative woman-owned brands that we have met at our recent trips to the trade shows.
ABLE is an ethical fashion brand that employs and empowers women as a solution to end poverty. They have grown from hand-woven scarves to a lifestyle brand as they have created transformative opportunities for women. While they support the local community of Nashville, their touch reaches Ethiopia, Mexico and Brazil through manufacturing partnerships.
Skinny laMinx is a home décor collection based on founder Heather Moore’s playful and chic prints. We met her partner, Pearl Thompson, and fell in love with the screen-printed textiles originating in South Africa but now available worldwide.
Although we went from east to west as we visited the NY Now Gift Show and the Las Vegas Magic Show, it feels like we have traveled the world. We found innovative and creative lifestyle products with a global and socially conscious point of view.
Bola Baskets are traditionally handmade baskets with a contemporary point of view. They are exclusively woven by the indigenous women of Ghana. These baskets provide a sustainable income to female weavers in a deprived community.
Bayous Mengesha is the founder of The Devi Arts Collective. This is an ethical fashion brand featuring handmade, nature-inspired jewelry and accessories. She believes in “slow fashion” and the need to be accountable for the raw materials used in her creations, and she sources recycled metals and ethical gemstones. By working with female co-operatives, she connects artisans around the world and supports their well-being.
We were inspired by the passionate designs of LovEvolve. Artist and founder, Sunny Stack Goode, began a series of “love paintings” to overcome a major emotional trauma. Each piece is created to
initiate healthy conversations about love. These designs are transferred onto finely woven scarves. Not only does she create these stunning giftables, but she collaborates with the One Love Foundation to educate young people about healthy relationships so they can identify and avoid abuse.
These labors of love were easily found in the early childhood development areas. Where is there a stronger feeling of love than between a mother and child? It was a pleasure to hear from Shalini of Open the Joy. Her life trajectory changed when her young daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease. After much time in the hospital and a thankful recovery, she began working to support the needs of pediatric patients. She brings hope, joy and laughter to sick kids through therapeutic and entertaining activity kits.
Men are going behind the scenes! More and more men are getting on board with their wives’ companies as these passion projects flourish.
We met with Angelrox’s designer Roxi Suger who is proud to have been on the forefront of the sustainable clothing movement for the last 20 years. By using both plant-based and handmade fabrications, her soft and stylish apparel supports women of all ages, stages, shapes and sizes. And her husband, Julian Shlaver, was right at her side to show off her products. They have a shared vision to support and rejuvenate their local community of Biddeford, Maine, through manufacturing, retail and employment.
Another favorite encounter was with Be the Good Founder & Creative Director Barbie Gram. This upbeat jewelry collection celebrates moments, milestones and emotions that make us feel happy. She is proud to give a living wage to every woman she employs. Although she has a long experience in retail and brand management, Barbie was clear that she is able to face the challenges of scaling because she has the guidance of her husband who works in finance. So, cheers to the men behind our women.
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