VF GUIDE: FEMALE FOUNDED FASHION FOR WORK & PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

Venture:F’s curated lists of female-founded and women-owned brands that deliver the looks when getting dressed for work, an event, or a night out. We’ve also included a few stylists to help you get ideas for styling your look.

Shopping women-owned is one way of investing in women. Several of the brands on the list like Another Tomorrow and La Ligne are angel and venture backed. 

SHOP WOMEN-OWNED

• ALC - After growing up in Manhattan, training at Parson’s School of Design and living in France and Africa, Andrea Lieberman exploded onto the styling scene when she put Jennifer Lopez in that Versace dress. Drawing from her international travels and experiences with her roster of celebrity clientele, she launched A.L.C. in 2008 to create the versatile, beautifully crafted staples women's wardrobes were missing.  “We exist to make women feel confident, strong, sexy and elegant, and believe in the inherent style and power of women.”- Andrea Lieberman

• Another Tomorrow from founder and co-CEO Vanessa Barboni Hallik exists to realign the relationship between fashion and its effects on the earth through thoughtful design, education, and tools for advocacy.

  Their platform for a technology-based circular economy was built on modern business principles of community, transparency, and organic scarcity. Every decision has been guided by a value system based on three pillars – human, animal, and environmental welfare.

  Their collection pushes the boundaries of what responsibly grown and ethically manufactured materials can achieve. Sensual, strong, and proportioned to flatter many forms, they are clothes suited for the modern warrior and meant to be lasting wardrobe staples.

• Bel Kazan - Behind every collection is designer Belinda Kazanci, who started BEL KAZAN after a life-changing journey to Bali, Indonesia. From the delicate flower offerings that lined the streets to their vibrant textiles and joyful spirits, she felt an unparalleled sense of inspiration among the Balinese people. It was then that Belinda decided to uproot her life in Los Angeles, determined to make her vision of a socially- and environmentally-responsible apparel line real. Today her time is split between the BEL KAZAN production facility in Bali and her studio in Los Angeles. She is committed to giving back to the culture and people that gave her a renewed sense of purpose.

• Jenni Kayne is a California-based lifestyle brand that believes in the power of classics—in pieces that transcend trends and resonate across generations. We design wardrobe and home essentials that stand as heirlooms in their own right and have the ability to evolve alongside you—effortlessly and simply. At Jenni Kayne, we stand for the everyday icons that are nothing short of timeless. Jenni Kayne—today, tomorrow, and forever. 

• La Ligne - Take one iconic graphic and add a lifetime of fashion savvy and you’ll find team La Ligne. Former Vogue editors Valerie Macaulay and Meredith Melling, and Molly Howard, rag & bone’s former head of business development, have earned their fashion stripes. They joined forces with one goal: translate the stripe into a collection that would empower women of all ages with effortless self-expression.

• Nili Lotan is a highly acclaimed ready-to-wear designer based in New York City. A mother of three, she lives in Tribeca with her husband, singer songwriter, David Broza. After graduating from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Tel Aviv, Lotan moved to New York where she led design for some of the industry’s most respected names including Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne and Nautica.

  Lotan launched her eponymous brand in 2003, grounded in the belief that a wardrobe should function as an extension of oneself. Her philosophy is that clothes should be clean, sophisticated and functional, offering elements for self-expression. Lotan’s design process is highly intuitive. She is inspired by women with a strong sense of personal style, and draws from art, music and rock n’ roll to design her collection. By designing pieces she herself wants to wear, Lotan’s collection instinctively resonate with a woman’s lifestyle.

• Me + Em - Founder Clare Hornby says she doesn’t believe that modern women should have to choose between quality and cost; between contemporary trends and clothes they can actually function and look great in.

  There are no compromises to be made here. They call this ‘Intelligent style’ because of the great deal of thought that goes into each and every piece to ensure it is flattering and functional, with wear-forever appeal. We refer to this as ‘The Three Fs’ and they are the pillars of ME+EM. If a piece doesn’t tick off all three, we don’t make it.

  The secret to ME+EM is what they don’t have: middlemen. Clare is obsessed with quality and in order to offer the highest standard at an accessible price, they handle everything ourselves, in-house. No third parties mean no unnecessary mark-ups. It’s the very simple reason why they no longer have to choose between luxury and cost. I’m proud to say that ME+EM was the very first luxury brand in the UK to disrupt the market in this way, paving the way for a new vision of womenswear.

• Tory Burch - Founded in 2004, Tory Burch has redefined American luxury with a global point of view. Their collections are designed to inspire women and the next generation. Presented every season during New York Fashion Week, the collection reflects Tory’s love of travel, color, and unique details. Timeless and versatile clothing and accessories that epitomize classic American style.

• Ulla Johnson - Born and raised in Manhattan, the daughter of archaeologists, Ulla Johnson honed her signature style between the streets of New York and the far-flung destinations of their family travels. Her eponymous line, founded in 1998 just after her graduation from university, immediately caught the attention of the fashion press.

  Growing from a handful of directional boutiques and with an early endorsement from Barneys New York, Ulla Johnson’s collection has gained a dedicated following and the support of retailers across the US, Europe, Australia, and Asia. She has never wavered on her steadfast attention to the details of construction that have become her hallmark, basing each of her collections on a foundation of natural fibers, beautiful finishing, and ease of fit and form.

• Veronica Beard - Sisters-in-law married to brothers, Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard cofounded the company in 2010. With two perspectives and one vision, the Veronicas have created a collection of cool classics that speak to today’s multifaceted, multitasking woman. VB believes that a dream wardrobe has to work for a multifaceted, layered life, so we design a uniform of cool classics as versatile as a woman’s day is, taking her through every occasion. VB believes that quality should never be compromised.

• Zimmerman - Sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann founded their namesake label in 1991. They fast won a loyal following - smart, sartorially savvy women with an eye for quality fabrics and clever cutting. ZIMMERMANN began literally and creatively in Sydney, with Nicky focusing designing dresses and selling them at Paddington markets. Through the week Nicky would design and create garments from her parent’s garage in preparation for the weekend market. The markets were an opportunity for Nicky to refine her aesthetic and to see first-hand how women responded to fashion.

HOW TO STYLE IT

Follow these Instagram accounts for styling inspiration.

• Andrea’s Look Book - Los Angeles native, Andrea Lublin, is a wardrobe stylist, fashion blogger and influencer known for her creative, easy going and effortless sense of style. With a life-long eye for fashion, Andrea has always understood the strong relationship between feeling good on the inside and looking good on the outside. Since before she could remember she loved everything about fashion. In 2014, Andrea launched Andrea’s Lookbook, a blog and styling business geared toward the “chic girl next door”. The weekly blog features everything from Andrea’s daily outfits to customized mood boards and spot on street style. Her styling services range from personal shopping to consulting for corporate brands.

• Ann Caruso is a fashion, wellness, and beauty expert, brand consultant, creative director, and social media ambassador. Ann is known for her work as an international celebrity stylist and fashion editor along with the iconic images and styles that she has created with the most prestigious photographers and celebrities in the world.
  Ann started her career at Ralph Lauren as a design assistant followed by her tenure at Vogue Magazine as a Fashion and Accessory Editor. After leaving Vogue in the late '90s, Ann's work as a celebrity stylist appeared in publications such as Vanity Fair, Tatler, Town & Country, InStyle, and Harper’s Bazaar, where Ann was a Contributing Fashion Editor for 16 years under Editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey.

• Monday Project Co. - Courtney Blood, Founder and Stylist of Monday Project Co. brings a unique combination of experience to personal styling. Her background lies in executive recruitment and search, where I found and secured outstanding executives for top tier clients. I business-partnered leaders to achieve their potential; I facilitated workshops and strategy sessions; and, most importantly, I had honest conversations. This skill set remains at the heart of her personal styling services. She’s here to bring confidence and clarity to your daily wardrobe decisions — and make shopping, selecting and curating outfits feel fun.When every piece in your wardrobe comes together, you step out the door feeling your best — with time to spare. You can trust Courtney to completely Reimagine your style, Transform your look, get your Spark back or Refresh the looks you already own.