One of my favourite things about being in this industry is the amount of amazing female talent that is continuously entering the field. I love how I get to meet other amazing & talented #bossbabes almost everyday!

There's nothing I love more than supporting these amazing women & their passions to create stunning & quality product for their customers to love & cherish. Plus, there's nothing I love more than to hear their inspiring stories about their unique journies.

I created this gift guide with the #bossbabe in your life in mind - whether it be yourself (because hey, i know ALL about shopping for yourself during the holidays :p) or for that inspiring mentor in your life or for your badass bestie. I'm just excited to share some of the best brands I believe that you can find right now so enjoy the vlog + post + happy shopping!

AKG

I met Anna Gilkerson when I was living in Halifax a couple years ago, which every time I talk about it - I miss SO MUCH! We actually even collaborated on a sweater together, it was my first design collaboration :)

Anna started AKG because she wanted to tell a story and create a fresh life in a different way. AKG consists of quality basics all made in Halifax, NS, that they just keep improving on. They are now into the third generation of the Kate (high rise brief) so it’s the Kate.3 now actually. Whatever really works and speaks to her customers, she keeps improving on it and bringing it back. Its terrible to see your favourite stuff disappear forever!

Anna describes her AKG (and Makenew) customer as someone who understands sustainability, has their own sense of self and style, likes to budget if they can but will spend more on a second hand piece than most. They trust her brand and now that she is always looking for the best most quality pieces for them. 

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FRANC

FRANC was created by Brandy Mercredi who had a long life dream to start her own clothing line. Over the years as she shopped (and worked for other brands), she realized there were a few things she was constantly spending way too much time hunting down: basics that were made to last, that were timeless, classic but not boring. Which inspired her to take her teenage dream of owning a clothing line and file it away as an embarrassing memory (the details never to be spoken of again) - so she could focus on what is now FRANC.

Sustainability is something that Brandy holds very dear to her heart. She simply can't get over the fact that in so many factories, workers are treated so unbelievably poor and just so that other people can wear trendy pieces of clothing at super cheap prices - that they then often throw out after a couple months. She tries her best to always treat people the way she would want to be treated and that extends itself to the people who make FRANC's clothes. She feels that it is important to know that the people who make the things she enjoys personally, are just as happy making those things as she is owning them.

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TOKEN GOLD

I met Chantal just before she started her journey with Token Gold and I've been loving seeing her brand grow & gain the recognition it deserves. Even though I love my costume jewelry, I love nothing more than finding a piece that will last me more than a lifetime. I love that I can see myself giving my future daughter these pieces when the time comes :) 

Chantal is an experienced metalsmith and jewelry designer who has been creating one-of-a-kind, custom jewelry, both domestically and abroad, for over a decade. The quality of her work is second-to-none, with great attention to detail and with an aim to create personal, meaningful work with as little environmental impact as possible; this includes a passion for reworking family pieces and heirlooms with a respect for the original design elements. Chantal's pieces are also known for their quality and longevity, so that the item, and the story that goes with it, may be passed down for generations to come.

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JENNY BIRD

If you ever catch me at an event in the city or a date night out with my man, you'll often find me wearing one of Jenny's eye-catching pieces. Without fail, anytime I wear her earrings I get a compliment on them so needless to say - I rarely leave the house without a pair on ;).

Jenny founded her line as an extension of herself; rooted in an innate desire to build something. She is a self-taught designer, and, as it turns out, it’s the most intuitive, effortless process that she has ever known. She is committed to a personal philosophy: the market does not need more soulless, short-lived fashion jewellery, nor does it need over-priced plated pieces. Each piece she designs is deeply inspired and well thought-out;  produced in the highest quality, and sold at a fair price. 

She wants her birdgirls to feel her essence in each piece, and in turn, she loves to see how their spirit and personal style brings a piece to life. She truly loves what she does.

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LISBETH

I met Sophie a couple years back when she had just made the move from the west coast to Toronto. I remember meeting this beautiful lady at Maman at First Canadian Place and feeling so inspired after our meeting. I had just started my blog at that point and was always aching to learn more from strong inspiring ladies that have created successful businesses of their own. So not only was I immediately taken by Sophie's beautiful line of minimal + delicate jewelry, but also her story of her travelling the world by herself to build her business when she first started.

Sophie Alden created Lisbeth Jewelry out of her passion for design and for her desire to create pieces that were missing from her personal wardrobe.  Hand made in Toronto, Lisbeth Jewelry is a collection of necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings featuring materials such as 14k gold fill, sterling silver and some semi precious stones. Lisbeth Jewelry evokes and air of understated glamour with a twist. The designs are simple and classic with some edgier components mixed in. Lisbeth Jewelry is available in boutiques across Canada.

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SONYA LEE

I reached out to Stephanie about a year ago after discovering her work. I immediately became obsessed with her work and this amazing woman! I loved hearing about her passion for what she does and to see her studio in person made me appreciate each piece all the more.

Founded by Stephanie Ibbitson in 2014, Sonya Lee is dedicated to forming progressive structures that communicate the natural language of leather. Handmade in Toronto, Canada, the organic identity of each piece reshapes modern refinement with raw elements.

Sonya Lee is committed to communicating the language of leather through experimental approach and progressive structure. Drawing from carefully selected materials and industrial hardware, the expressive nature of our organic medium forms the singular identity of each hand constructed piece. The intention is to produce an alternative to conventional design where raw elements refine modern functionality.

A subversion of post-industrial norms through raw elements and refined craftwork, this distinctive offering of handmade bags and accessories represents a physical concept in practice.

Through designer and founder Stephanie Ibbitson’s multifaceted approach to art, architecture and contemporary perception, Sonya Lee selects the highest quality vegetable tanned leather as its preferred medium for creativity. Revealing the marks of time and decay throughout its history, the expressive nature of this organic material shapes the singular identity of each silhouette.

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OPELLE

I met Beth, one of the co-founders of this beautiful brand at Toronto Fashion Week 2 years ago. We met because we were both attending our mutual friend Jennifer Torosian's show AND because I was obsessed with her entire outfit consisting of my dream Celine jacket! We reconnected recently via email and I have fallen in love with their Meena satchel as it is something that has 

Opelle was founded in 2010 by designer Amy Malcolm out of her need to create a handbag that
was simultaneously functional and aesthetically refined. The brand is conceptualized, crafted
and produced in small batches in our Toronto studio by Amy and Beth Nicholson Crago. With an
emphasis on function and authenticity, every Opelle bag is thoughtful, responsible and unique.

Each Opelle handbag is individually handcrafted in small batches in their Toronto atelier. They
work with an evolving production system composed of a mix of traditional & original processes developed through experimentation. By keeping their production hands-on and in-house they are
able to ensure that each piece is a specimen of perfect quality, created ethically and realized
exactly as intended.

Opelle pieces are handcrafted exclusively from top-grain natural leathers. They source tanneries
in Italy, Germany and Spain. Wherever possible they use leathers that are tanned using low-
impact processes with a minimum of chemical processing. Skins are hand-chosen for softness & quality and hand-cut to maintain their individual character. Slight variations in texture, form and colour define the unique natural elegance inherent in each piece.

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STIL

Founded in 2014, designer Marissa took her experience working as a graphic designer and photographer to create printed organizational goods with elevated quality, simple design and thoughtfully curated materials. We are an independent design studio providing minimal and intentional products that help women achieve organization.

Earlier this fall, Marissa launched the Metropolis Clutch on Kickstarter, and reached her funding goal in just 12 hours. The most surprising part of the experience was that people really loved the product . Marissa filmed her Kickstarter video herself, a skill she learned from watching YouTube tutorials on how to edit in iMovie. She already had a background in photography which came in very handy — she started with pinhole photography, then got into black and white, and even developed her own film back in the day.

Today, Marissa runs STIL and is heavily involved at every level of the business. She designs packaging, manages photo shoots and connects with her customers on a daily basis. In her downtime, when she has a minute, she is known to enjoy her tea time, going on photowalks in new cities and reading through her extensive collection of print magazines while sitting in her robe with her hair up in her micro loft of 240 square feet.

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Hope you all found something you love or think somebody will love !!

Happy shopping + happy holidays cuties :)

xx

Jess