Women-led L.A. businesses for International Women’s Day 2021
We’ve been fortunate to meet some of L.A.’s most creative female entrepreneurs over the years, from celebrated architects to ceramists who work out of their home studios.
We’ve met their shop dogs, their kids — even their chickens — and been humbled by their creativity. Kelly Wearstler may be one of the nation’s most glamorous interior designers, but we’ll never forget the timewe took her bargain shopping at Cost Plus World Market. (She splurged on a black-and-white African pattern rug for $119.)
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, we’ve assembled a list of women-owned businesses in and around Los Angeles with a focus on architecture, fashion, interiors, landscape design and houseplants.
This is not meant to be a definitive list but a sampling of some of the women who make the Los Angeles design community so special. Please note that many of the retail locations listed may have limited hours and curbside pickup because of the coronavirus pandemic. Also, check out our lists of Black- and Latino-owned businesses curated by staff writers.
Fashion
Designer Beatrice Valenzuela in her Echo Park studio.
(Mariah Tauger / For The Times)
Beatrice Valenzuela
The Echo Park designer, known for her feminine apparel and accessories, linen separates and minimal sandals, started the popular Echo Park Craft Fair — the annual festival devoted to Los Angeles makers that has been deeply missed during the pandemic — in her backyard with friend and fellow designer Rachel Craven. beatricevalenzuela.com
Carny Couture
Brooke Bailey and husband Johnny Wiskerchen specialize in vintage clothing, housewares, ceramics and antique oddities. They recently opened a second showroom, in addition to their West Adams store, in an abandoned apartment building in Santa Monica. carnycouture.com
Christy Dawn
The environmentally conscious fashion brand, started by Christy Dawn Baskauskas and her husband, Aras Baskauskas, in 2013, uses deadstock fabric in limited-edition vintage-inspired pieces. christydawn.com
Clare V
Since starting Clare V. in 2008, Claire Vivier has ventured into handbags, clothing, footwear, jewelry and beauty products. clarev.com
Sisters Margaret, left, and Katherine Kleveland at Doen at the Brentwood Country Mart.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Doen
Doen sells romantic cotton dresses, nightgowns and tops by the Los Angeles-based bohemian fashion brand, founded by sisters Margaret and Katherine Kleveland in 2015. shopdoen.com
Elyse Walker
Walker opened her luxury retail flagship in 1999 in Pacific Palisades and has expanded to include in-house stylists and additional stores in Newport Beach and Calabasas. forwardbyelysewalker.com.
Esqueleto
Jewelry designer Lauren Wolf has assembled an eye-catching array of distinctive handcrafted items in her Hollywood showroom, including custom jewelry, art, decorative objects and colorful vintage kilims. shopesqueleto.com
Jenni Kayne
Kayne opened her first retail store in 2003 and quickly branched out from minimalist clothes to shoes, handbags, jewelry, home furnishings and, most recently, interior design, jennikayne.com
Lookout and Wonderland
Los Angeles-based fiber artist Niki Tsukamoto creates one-of-a-kind clothing and home goods with natural fibers and plant-based dyes, including a recent sneaker collaboration with Stussy. lookoutandwonderland.com
Lost and Found
Owner Jamie Rosenthal opened Lost & Found 18 years ago as a single storefront on Yucca Street in Hollywood. Now, she has six storefronts and a Santa Monica showroom that offers men’s and women’s clothing, home goods, accessories and children’s clothes and furniture from around the world. lostandfoundshop.com
The Plus Bus
This Highland Park boutique offers plus-size vintage clothing, carefully selected by stylists Jen Wilder & Marcy Guevara-Prete. theplus-bus.com
Rachel Craven
Craven, one of the cofounders of the Echo Park Craft Fair, designs minimal silhouettes for all body types at her studio in Glendale. rachelcraven.com
Rachel Pally
The Los Angeles native, known for her soft, draped dresses and separates, started her company right out of college 17 years ago “with the goal of dressing women of all shapes and sizes and stages of life.” rachelpally.com
Raquel Allegra
The Los Angeles designer has built her boho fashions — sweaters, maxi dresses, even shoes — on her signature tie-dye technique. raquelallegra.com
Designer Trina Turk.
(Dewey Nicks)
Trina Turk
The veteran L.A.-based clothing designer’s eponymous women’s line, founded in 1995, features playful prints and bright, bold color. Turk is also a preservationist and collaborated with architect Barbara Bestor on her John Lautner home in Echo Park. trinaturk.com
Home/Design/Architecture/Craft
Alice Kimm
John Friedman and Alice Kimm founded their design practice in 1996 in Los Angeles, and have worked on everything from guest houses to private residences, colleges and commercial buildings. jfak.net
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
All Roads Studio
Self-taught weaver Janelle Pietrzak, the creative force behind the Yucca Valley-based All Roads Studio, went from weaving as a hobby to creating custom pieces for clients like the stylish Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs. In 2014, she licensed her designs to Anthropologie, which now produces All Roads Studio rugs, pillows, throws and duvets. allroadsdesign.com
Amber Interiors
In addition to her design studio, Calabasas-based interior designer Amber Lewis offers SoCal-inspired breezy, contemporary furnishings at three bricks-and-mortar home and lifestyle stores. shoppe.amberinteriordesign.com
Silver Lake architect Barbara Bestor.
(Yoshihiro Makino)
Barbara Bestor
The Silver Lake architect who originated the term “Bohemian Modern” has left her mark throughout Los Angeles, from her John Lautner updates to her Instagram-friendly retail spaces, small-lot housing in the hills of Echo Park and countless private residences. bestorarchitecture.com
B Zippy & Co.
Founded in 2008 by ceramic artist Bari Ziperstein, B Zippy & Co. includes functional objects, large-scale installations, site-specific public sculpture and fine artworks. bzippyandcompany.com
Textile designers Hopie and Lily Stockman of Block Shop.
(Sasha Israel)
Block Shop Textiles
The collection of curvilinear woodblock-printed textiles by sisters Hopie and Lily Stockman includes napkins, table runners, prints, scarves and reversible dhurries. blockshoptextiles.com
Bridgid Coulter
In addition to her residential and commercial design projects, the Santa Monica-based interior designer has a line of eco-conscious textiles. bridgidcoulter.com
Brigette Romanek
The Los Angeles-based interior designer, whose clients include Eric Buterbaugh and Misty Copeland, tackles commercial, retail and residential projects. romanekdesignstudio.com
Cathy Callahan
The Silver Lake designer is known for her handmade, eclectic dyed textiles including aprons, patchwork pillows, placemats and linen jewelry. @cathy_callahan
Dekor
Swedish-born interior designer Isabelle Dahlin’s showrooms are filled with vintage Midcentury Modern furnishings, colorful Turkish kilims and her own line of custom furniture. dekorliving.com
Design, Bitches founders Catherine Johnson, left, and Rebecca Rudolph are behind the looks of L.A. dining spots including Superba Snack Bar.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Design, Bitches
Los Angeles architects Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph love to mix design, art and pop culture in their designs for restaurants, homes and accessory dwelling units. designbitches.com
Design Vidal
Founded by Karen and Guy Vidal in 2000, Vidal Design Collaborative is a design-build firm specializing in colorful interiors, landscape design and hospitality projects. designvidalcollaborative.com
D.L. Rhein
In addition to her interior design business, Deborah Rhein-Gleiberman’s retail store in Palms is a wonderful neighborhood fixture showcasing vintage and new collectibles. dlrhein.com
Emily Farnham
The Echo Park architect has updated homes by Rudolph Schindler, her own 1906 bungalow and most notably, actress Mandy Moore’s Midcentury Modern home in Pasadena. emilyfarnham.com
Emily Henderson
The former host of HGTV’s “Secrets From a Stylist” may be moving to Portland, Ore., but her imprint on Los Angeles remains. And if you’re looking for a vintage rug resource guide or a roundup of comfortable dining room chairs, her blog, Style by Emily Henderson, always delivers. stylebyemilyhenderson.com
Faith Blakeney
The interior designer says her studio’s approach “disregards convention in favor of innovation, collaboration, play, out-of-the-box thinking and social conscience.” faithblakeney.com
45 Three Modern Vintage Home
Owner Staci Cain is known for giving vintage furnishings from around the globe a glow-up. Her Little Ethiopia shop features Midcentury Modern furniture, art and accessories. 45threemodernvintagehome.com
Ceramist Heather Levine and her shop dog, Pierre, in her Glassell Park studio.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Heather Levine
The Los Angeles ceramist has created hundreds of one-of-a-kind pieces — lamps, sconces, chandeliers and wall hangings — for architects Emily Farnham and Barbara Bestor, interior designers Jeff Andrews and Jamie Bush, as well as restaurants and hotels. She recently released a series of porcelain plates with artist Clare Crespo. heatherlevine.com
Heather Rosenman
Rosenman’s porcelain and stoneware vessels often feature graphic, etched surfaces and bubble-like lava glazes. heatherrosenmanceramics.com
Heather Taylor Home
Heather Taylor’s 100% cotton napkins, tablecloths and aprons feature bold stripes and sweet gingham patterns and are handwoven in Chiapas, Mexico. heathertaylorhome.com
Delphine Lippens, owner of Humble Ceramics, outside her studio.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Humble Ceramics
For an artist who calls her studio Humble Ceramics, it’s fitting that Delphine Lippens reduces her dinnerware — a favorite with local chefs — to simple and clean forms. humbleceramics.com
Ellen Bennett relaxes with some of “the ladies” in their “Eames-inspired chicken coop.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Hedley & Bennett
Former chef Ellen Bennett turned the need for stylish but functional aprons into a Vernon-based culinary line that includes handcrafted aprons, chef gear, shoes and face masks. Hedleyandbennett.com
Individual Medley
Navarro Boyes and Justin Boyes’ independent boutique is devoted to unique goods by local artists including P.F. Candle Co., Block Shop Textiles and Rami Kim. individualmedleystore.com
Isabelle Duvivier
The Venice-based architect is an advocate for environmental architecture, from her own eco-friendly home to apartments, gardens and urban designs. idarchitect.com
Stained-glass artist Janel Foo.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Janel Foo
Working alone in her detached one-car garage turned studio, Foo assembles stained-glass suncatchers for West Elm and custom orders. janelfoo.com
Jen E Ceramics
Utilizing her background in graphic design, Jen Kuroki crafts bold and colorful ceramics that will make you smile. jenkuroki.com
Judy Kameon
Elysian Landscapes designer Kameon, author of “Gardens Are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces,” is known for creating sustainable public and private outdoor rooms that maximize living space. elysianlandscapes.com
Designer Justina Blakeney at home with her plants.
(Loloi Rugs)
Justina Blakeney
In addition to interior design, the Los Angeles-based designer’s Jungalow brand includes a wide variety of collaborations on furniture, accessories, rugs and apparel. Her latest book, “Jungalow: Decorate Wild,” is due out in April. jungalow.com
Kat and Roger
Artists Kat Hutter and Roger Lee blend their talents in painting (Hutter) and ceramics (Lee) to create graphic handmade functional artworks. katandroger.com
Kathleen Ferguson Landscapes
The horticulturist, certified arborist and landscape designer creates landscapes both private and public. kathleenferguson.com
Kathryn M. Ireland
The Santa Monica interior and textile designer has written six books, starred in Bravo’s “Million Dollar Decorators” and brought her whimsical, no-nonsense bohemian style to her latest venture, the Perfect Room. kathrynireland.com
This GIF captures interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s spirit.
(From Kelly Wearstler )
Kelly Wearstler
One of the nation’s leading interior designers, known for her high-voltage interiors, furniture, home accessories and hotels, Wearstler recently released the Kelly Wearstler GIPHY collection, available on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and iMessage. kellywearstler.com
Kishani Perera
Author of the book “Vintage Remix: The Interiors of Kishani Perera,” the designer is a favorite with celebrities and is known for mixing high-end furnishings with eBay and Etsy finds, flea market pieces and mass-market purchases. kishaniperera.com
Kneeland Co.
Joanna Williams, a longtime vintage textile consultant, recently opened a bricks-and-mortar store in West Adams specializing in one-of-a-kind, globally sourced and handmade home goods and jewelry. kneelandco.com
Little Knittery owner Kat Coyle at her yarn shop in Los Feliz. She was one of the founders of the “pussyhat project” along with Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Little Knittery
Shop owner Kat Coyle was one of the founders of the globally recognized pink pussyhat movement, along with Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman. Her beloved knitting shop has cultivated a devoted and loyal community where Friday Knit Nights were a weekly favorite — before COVID-19 — as were the crochet and knitting classes. thelittleknittery.com
Meredith Metcalf
The Highland Park ceramist creates hand-thrown, high-fired stoneware lamps and other decorative pieces in her backyard studio. mmhp.squarespace.com
Mirena Kim
Handmade modern ceramics including vessels, platters, bowls and cups. mirenakim.com
Nickey Kehoe
Amy Kehoe and Todd Nickey’s Los Angeles design studio and boutique features handmade furniture, vintage pieces and contemporary home accessories. nickeykehoe.com
Cortney Novogratz put this artwork across from the bed in her master bedroom so she could “wake up to it every day.”
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
The Novogratz
Designers Cortney and Robert Novogratz, who split their time between New York and Los Angeles, have transformed everything from starter homes in Silver Lake to their own “castle” in the Hollywood Hills and stylish hotels. The couple also developed a line of “attainable” furnishings and accessories, which will be featured when they open a long-term pop-up on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in April. thenovogratz.com
Designer Joy Cho, founder of the whimsical and joy-filled brand Oh Joy.
(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Oh Joy!
Founder and Creative Director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning Band-Aids to soft soap as well as regular editorial content online. ohjoy.com
Otherwild
Rachel Berk’s lifestyle boutique and community space in Los Feliz features apothecary goods, jewelry and home goods and serves as a space for everything from broom-making classes to feminist readings. otherwild.com
Pamela Shamshiri
Los Angeles-based designer Pamela Shamshiri founded Studio Shamshiri in 2016 with her brother Ramin after leaving Commune. The studio has restored homes by iconic architects such as A. Quincy Jones, Rudolph Schindler, Myron Hunt and Buff & Hensman and spearheaded new projects by Marmol Radziner and Johnston Marklee. studioshamshiri.com
Parachute
Founder Ariel Kaye launched the modern bedding and bath company in 2014 as a direct-to-consumer retailer of quality sheets, towels, robes and rugs, and has expanded to 10 stores throughout the nation. parachutehome.com
Pawena Thimaporn
Handcrafted and boldly painted ceramics, thrown in Thimaporn’s Woodland Hills studio. pawenastudio.com
P.F. Candle
Kristen Pumphrey and Thomas Neuberger’s home fragrance company offers vegan soy candles, reed diffusers, incense and room sprays. pfcandleco.com
Angie Myung of Poketo, at home in Mt. Washington.
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Poketo
Founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife team Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung, the design accessories and housewares brand has grown from a small startup into a mainstay of the Los Angeles creative community. poketo.com
Tricia Beanum reclines on a vintage Ludwig Mies van der Rohe chaise lounge.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Pop Up Home
Tricia Beanum, known as the queen of estate sales, recently moved her West Adams warehouse to a massive showroom on Sycamore in West Hollywood. Shop for vintage furniture, accessories and art at her showroom or at her staged estate sales. popuphome.com
Rachel Allen
Allen, the founding principal of RADAR, has completed residential, commercial and retail projects and will next design and develop five buildings for the Pershing Square renewal project in DTLA. rachelallen.net
Smith-Clementi
Architects Julie Smith-Clementi and Frank Clementi, formerly of Rios Clementi Hale Studios, continue their work on residences, civic spaces and product design. smithclementi.com
Scout Regalia
L.A.-based designers Makoto Mizutani and Benjamin Ludd bring a relaxed yet modern look to their products: stylish picnic tables, sturdy raised-bed garden kits for apartment dwellers and colorful stainless-steel wall hooks for indoors and out. scoutregalia.com
Sonja Rasula’s Unique Markets normally set up shop in L.A. three times a year.
(Valerie Vogt)
Sonja Rasula
Rasula’s Unique Markets usually sets up shop in L.A. three times a year, drawing upwards of 5,000 shoppers. She recently launched Care Package, a quarterly subscription service that introduces customers to items they’d typically find at a Unique event. She plans to personally curate each package and include story cards about the featured small businesses. uniquemarkets.com
Talbot McLanahan
The Venice architect is known for her innovative projects, including thoughtful and modern updates of Venice bungalows.
Victoria Morris Pottery
The Los Angeles native creates minimal lamps, vases and bowls at her pottery studio in Altadena. victoriamorrispottery.com
Wolfum
Los Angeles designer Annabel Inganni’s graphic line of printed wooden tabletop home decor and accessories — bookends, trays and backgammon sets — are handmade in Los Angeles. wolfum.com
Plants/Gardens
Floral designer Alex Floro, owner of Under New Mgmt, says the business is about more than flowers: They’re not afraid to get political.
(Jessica Pomerantz )
Alex Floro
The Los Angeles-based floral design studio Under New Management creates over-the-top bouquets featuring rhinestones, paint, tulle, fruit and more. undernewmgmt.co
Matriarch Maria Hurtado Lopez is photographed with family at her Avalon Nursery & Ceramics in South Los Angeles.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Avalon Nursery
Maria Luz Lopez built South Los Angeles’ only enduring nursery 33 years ago on a dusty corner lot. @avalonnurseryla
Becky Bourdeau
The landscape designer splits her time between designing residential landscape projects and creating ceramics for her Mineral Ceramics line. beckybourdeaudesign.com
Christy Wilhelmi
The Garden Nerd garden consultant and author of “Gardening for Geeks” specializes in edible landscapes. gardenerd.com
Jamie Renee Williams sits with the garden she grew outside her apartment.
(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Compostable
This residential compost delivery service spearheaded by Monique Figueiredo and Jamie Renee Williams will pick up your compostable food scraps and drop them at an urban farm. Simply place your bin outside on collection day, and they will pick it up and leave you a clean bin in its place. Compostablela.com
Edible Gardens
Lauri Kranz’s business caters to creating edible gardens for schools and celebrities but she recently added a farm produce delivery service to her repertoire. ediblegardensla.com
Danae Horst, at home with her plants.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Folia Collective
Every plant at Folia Collective, from Peperomia ferreyraeto to staghorn ferns, comes with a care card written by owner Danae Horst detailing its specific needs. Horst, author of the recent book “Houseplants for All,” is an invaluable resource and hosts book signings, classes and occasional cutting swaps. foliacollective.com
Greenwood Shop
In addition to houseplants, Jaime Curtis stocks ceramics, candles and apothecary items in her Valley Village lifestyle shop. “When we are all vaccinated and can see each other again, I expect a ton of plant swaps and prop[agation] parties to happen, and hope to host them here as well!” she said. greenwood-shop.com
Andi Xoch, creator of @LatinxWithPlants.
(Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times)
Latinx With Plants
Andi Xoch started selling houseplants on her Instagram account, Latinx With Plants, which led to the opening of her first plant shop in Boyle Heights. latinxwithplants.com
Mallory With the Flowers
Self-taught floral designer Mallory Browne learned her craft by watching YouTube videos and designing arrangements with grocery store blooms. This year, Browne started the Flowers for Black Men project to support the Black men witnessing the unjust, highly publicized deaths of Black men at the hands of police and her unique designs landed her an appearance on an episode of Issa Rae’s HBO series “Insecure.” mallorywiththeflowers.com
Landscape designer Laura Morton prunes a grapefruit tree in her backyard.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
Laura Morton Design
The Los Angeles-based landscape designer specializes in full-concept exteriors, sustainable horticulture and garden design. lauramortondesign.com
Lisa Gimmy Landscape Architecture
Gimmy founded her practice in 1992 and has worked with residential, institutional and commercial clients. lglalandscape.com
Naomi Sanders
Sanders’ background in fine art and interior design influences her landscapes, which are defined by color, texture and sculptural forms. naomisanders.com
Potted owners Annette Gutierrez, left, and Mary Gray.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Potted
Long before “plant parents” became a trend, Annette Gutierrez and Mary Gray specialized in houseplants as well as outdoor plants, outdoor living decor and planters by local artists. Prior to the pandemic, the Atwater Village store also hosted regular DIY workshops and book signings. pottedstore.com
Amorette Brooms turned her 10-year-old Mid-Wilshire boutique , Queen, into a plant shop after the initial stay-at-home order.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Queen Boutique
When the pandemic hit, Amorette Brooms pivoted her fashion business and now sells houseplants, accessories and artworks by Black artists out of her tiny storefront on Pico Boulevard. queenlosangeles.com
The Sill
Eliza Blank’s popular plant boutique carries houseplants, planters and gifts. Plants are displayed according to lighting, water and pet needs and start at $5. The store offers classes on houseplant basics and kokedama, a plant-care bar and potting table as well as a Plant Parent Club. thesill.com
Sarah Cotta Plants
Expect houseplants both familiar and exotic at Sarah Bazikam’s boutique plant store in Glendale. sarahcottaplants.com
Tansy co-owners Shawna Christian, right, and Colette Flower.
(Mariah Tauger/Los Angeles Times)
Tansy
Owners Shawna Christian and Colette Fowler offer a wide variety of home goods at their Burbank store including plants, home decor and pots. Before the pandemic, the store also served as an event space for fairy garden planting parties, wreath design and sustainable living workshops. tansyburbank.com
Whit Hazen
Whit McClure’s boutique floral design studio specializes in seasonally inspired florals for weddings and events. whithazen.com
Wild Flora
Alexandra Scholtz, a second-generation florist from New York, opened this full-service florist with her brother, Mike, a landscape designer. When houseplant sales took off — many of them ready to go in pots — they added houseplants, succulents, tillandsia, as well as gifts and their own line of candles. Past workshops have included wreath making and succulent planters. wildfloradesign.com
Wyldbnch Plants
Pop Annemarie Chan’s plant shop in the downtown Arts District features indoor plants, planters, gifts and potting services. wyldbnchplants.com