When our fab founder and CEO, Haley Pavone, was impaled by a stiletto in 2016, she was struck with a genius idea. Why couldn’t heels be practical, fashionable, and comfortable? For centuries, heels have been designed primarily with style in mind, rather than practicality, let alone versatility. After Haley’s accident, she did her research and found that high heels are the #1 cause of foot pain. After discovering this startling information, she took it upon herself to create a shoe that could provide all women with a solution for problems that the majority of conventional high heels present. This is what truly makes Pashion a women for women company.
Other women-owned companies have had a similar approach and have been able to improve versions of everyday products to make their brand unique and truly by women, for women. We wanted to share some of our other favorite women-founded companies and shed some light on how they have also taken the steps to create great, functional products, just like Pashion's fully convertible high heels.
3rd love
Finding a bra that fits flawlessly can be a daunting task for many. When Co-Founder, Heidi Zak, realized she had a dozen bras (none of which fit properly), she took it upon herself to team up with a designer and create her own. 3rd Love builds bras based on size and shape and has created innovative styles to ensure comfort for all. In 2013, Zak and her designer officially launched their first bra. Their company now offers over 80 sizes, unique designs made for your comfort, and they have donated nearly 20 million dollars worth of bras to women in need.
Spanx
In 1998, Sara Blakely was planning on wearing her chic, white pants to a party. After trying them on, she noticed that they didn’t fit the sleek and smooth look she was hoping for, so she took it upon herself to take scissors to the feet of her pantyhose and layer then under her pants. After realizing she had found a genius solution to her dilemma, she knew she was onto something. Blakely then founded Spanx, a clothing brand that was developed around the idea of solving those common and oh-so irritating clothing dilemmas. Spanx has continued to grow and now offers undergarments, denim, swimwear, activewear, accessories, men's products, and more.
Dagne Dover
Melissa Mash sought out to create a line of handbags that were both functional and fashionable. Sounds familiar, right? She later partnered with Deepa Gandhi and Jessy Dover in 2012 and they became the trio behind this genius brand now known as “Dagne Dover”. Dagne Dover specializes in creating totes, handbags, wallets, backpacks and more all with functionality at the forefront of their design. From bags that include laptop storage, built-in wallets, zippers, pouches, and even lip-gloss holders, these three women have worked to create the perfect array of bags that are sure to fit the needs of anyone and any lifestyle.
Glossier
Emily Weiss, the woman behind the genius beauty brand, Glossier, founded the company in 2014. Weiss started her blog, known as “Into The Gloss” in 2010, and began to create a powerful and interactive community. Today, Weiss’s blog is still incredibly active and provides a place for the community to share their beauty secrets, favorite products, and more. This provides Glossier with important insights into what makeup and beauty product users look for in their purchases, which in turn inspires them to develop high-quality, future products.
Hakuna Banana
Here’s a (very necessary) bonus we decided to throw in! When best-friends, Hannah and Mollie both became lactose-intolerant in their early twenties, they decided to create their own banana and non-dairy based ice cream. Hakuna Banana was then founded in 2016 and now offers its non-dairy, plant-based ice cream without any refined sugars. With this ice-cream being one of our founder, Haley’s favorites, we know it has to be great!
All of these women-founded businesses have become incredibly successful and have helped to reinvent commonly used products into functional products for both men and women. Thanks to companies like these, we are collectively making strides towards creating products that intertwine the ideas of practicality and necessity, and truly benefit all. Go ahead and check them out, you'll be glad you did.
XOXO,
Justyn Wolf