Female-Founded Sustainable Brands To Know In 2024

Looking for some female-founded sustainable brands to shop from in 2024? It is proven that women put purpose at the heart of their business – and female-led businesses want to serve people and the planet rather than just make profit at any cost, says Michelle Pughe-Parry de Klerk, founder of B-Corp Certified business The Women’s Chapter.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda and a supporting report by the UN Secretary General clearly show that one of the solutions to the climate crisis is to have more women in business. To successfully counter the climate crisis, we need to fully tap into all human potential – including that of women. ‘Investing in women entrepreneurs is smart for achieving social and environmental objectives,’ says the UN.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to buy mindfully and use the power of our purses to support women-led business. Within their communities, women can challenge limiting beliefs, foster mutual support, and make philanthropic decisions that impact the world. This creates a ripple effect, extending beyond immediate circles to touch individuals, communities, and societies. As this ripple effect spreads from one woman to the next, it shapes a world where empowered women continually uplift and inspire future generations.

Michelle Pughe-Parry de Klerk and Aisling Connaughton

Sustainability solutionist, co-founder of sustainability consultancy Cyd Connects and COP28 speaker, Aisling Connaughton, believes the research has finally caught up with what we all know in our bones; ‘women leaders deliver climate solutions’. Aisling, who is also a B Leader, a sustainability expert who is trained by B Corp to help businesses through the certification process, says: ‘Championing female business leaders is now more important than ever’.

Against the backdrop of March being International Women’s Month, B Corp month and when the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women takes place, here are 12 female-founded sustainable brands: purpose-led business we should know about in 2024, all with female sustainability trailblazers at the helm.

12 Female-Founded Sustainable Brands

SUSTAINABLE SMALLS

Stripe & Stare

Responsible for creating the world’s first 100 percent biodegradable lace knickers, Stripe & Stare has developed into a B Corp certified cult brand loved by women all over the UK and US. Even Oprah is a fan. Their B Edit range is all made from trees, and once you’re done with them you can plant them straight in the ground and they will decompose in 180 days. Co-founder Nicola Piercy says, ‘As part of our pledge to put people and the planet above profit, we will continue to disrupt an industry where only two percent of underwear is sustainably sourced. A terrible statistic for something we wear everyday. 

Nicola Piercy, founder of Stripe & Stare

DISCOVER: stripeandstare.com 

Nudea

All of Nudea’s bras, sleepwear and briefs are made with recycled, organic or natural materials. With over 20 components involved in the making of a bra, their suppliers and sub-suppliers sign up to their strict supplier code of conduct based on the B Corp framework.

Nudea’s founder, Priya Downes, is passionate about how we as individuals can make small but positive changes to our shopping habits to support the planet and those living on it: ‘I created Nudea because I saw how disposable underwear had become: low quality, incorrect fitting, and lack of knowledge on how to care for these items had contributed to making the underwear category throwaway.’

Priya Downers, founder of Nudea

DISCOVER: nudea.com

Just Wears

B Corp certified JustWears underwear founder Yang Liu sampled over 1,000 fabrics before she found MicroModal Air, made from soft cellulosic fibre sourced from sustainable beech trees. In addition to keeping men cool and providing a ‘palace for their phallis’, their pants will spend 50 times less time in landfill compared to polyester and require 20 times less water to produce than cotton. They have also just launched knickers and tees for women.

Yang Liu, founder of JustWears

DISCOVER: just-wears.com 

CONSCIOUS SKINCARE 

Lisa Franklin London

As a leading facialist, Lisa witnessed first-hand increases in problematic skin and premature ageing, as well as navigating her own battle with Rosacea. Fascinated by crystals and in particular rose quartz, her brand became the first in the world to include it in a facial product. B Corp certified, Leaping Bunny approved and a Positive Luxury brand, Lisa Franklin has put sustainable and ethical sourcing at the core of her results-driven business, without compromising on the luxury experience.

Lisa Franklin. Credit: Bethany Lavin Photography

DISCOVER: lisafranklin.london

Irene Forte Skincare

Irene’s dream to create a natural skincare line with sustainability at its core and made better by the guidance of science led to her eponymous line. Their ingredients are sourced from their certified organic farm at Verdura Resort in Sicily, or from surrounding areas. They plant thousands of new plants each year, have a rainwater harvesting system and use solar panels to ensure a positive impact on the environment. The brand has been B Corp certified since 2022.

Irene Forte

DISCOVER: ireneforteskincare.co.uk 

MINDFUL FOOD & WINE

Noughty

Thomson & Scott’s alcohol-free Noughty is the world’s first premium non-alcoholic wine portfolio. B Corp certified and using 100 percent organic grapes, their founder Amanda Thomson is leading the global shift to alcohol-free drinking – a market that is anticipated to reach an estimated $1.6 trillion by 2025.

Amanda Thomson, founder of Noughty

DISCOVER: noughtyaf.com 

MPowder

Researcher Rebekah Brown was 45 when she entered peri-menopause. Night sweats, anxiety, anger, bloating and breakouts where just some of the symptoms she was told could be attributed to depression or burnout as she was too young to be in peri-menopause. She found the supplements on the market ineffective, so she started making her own by dehyrating fruit and vegetables and blending them into a powder that would deliver the nutritional hit her body needed. Today, her brand, MPowder, has become a movement made up of more than 10,000 women who are committed to filling the data health gap, through their feedback and MPowder’s self-funded product insight studies.

Rebekah Brown, founder of MPowder

DISCOVER: mpowder.store

CIRCULAR APPAREL & ACCESSORIES

Natural Nuance

Co-founders Ase Elvebakk and Lisa Niedermayr founded accessories brand Natural Nuance with a mission to show that luxury and premium accessories can be both beautiful, circular and sustainable. Their bags, which include shoppers, shoulder bags and clutches, are designed to be reused and they reclaim previously used items, enabling their customers to purchase preloved items, repurposing the materials for new prototypes or eventually, reimagining them as second-generation products. 

Ase Elvebakk, founder of Natural Nuance

DISCOVER: natural-nuance.com 

Scamp & Dude

Known for its signature leopard and lightning bolt print, Scamp & Dude is another female-founded sustainable brand, created by Jo Tutchener-Sharp. Recently achieving B Corp certification, 84 percent of their loungewear is made with organic cotton and 80 percent of their dresses are made with sustainable materials or wash processes. Over the last seven years they have raised more than £1.7 million in cash for charity through their sales.

Jo Tutchener-Sharp, founder of Scamp & Dude

DISCOVER: scampanddude.com 

Annoushka Jewellery

Passionate that the world should not be harmed for the sake of luxury, Annoushka Ducas MBE creates pieces in real gold, an endlessly recyclable resource which can be cherished and passed on through generations. The brand carries a Positive Luxury certification. Annoushka is also the founder of The Brilliant Breakfast, an arm of The Prince’s Trust which has raised £2.1 million for the charity in its first three years. She developed the concept after recognising how many young women, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, need a lifeline to support them into education and employment. More 1,800 young women have been supported by The Prince’s Trust as a result of this funding.

Annoushka Ducas MBE, founder of Annoushka Jewellery

DISCOVER: annoushka.com

SERVING SOCIETY

UMBRA

Kate Bright, the founder of private security firm UMBRA, is on a mission to change the thinking that private security is only for the super rich. Kate has used her 25 years of experience of bodyguarding and gatekeeping to develop a range of resources to help individuals, particularly women, feel more safe. Their Secure Lifestyle Kit and Bodyguard in a Bag are packed with useful safety hacks like a personal alarm torch, iphone privacy screen and nail kit (to be used beyond manicures). On the B Corp track, UMBRA also offers resources, pro bono support and advice for those who need it the most through partnerships with domestic abuse and violence charities.

Kate Bright, founder of UMBRA

DISCOVER: umbrainternational.com

C&C Search

Lucy Chamberlain, founder of B Corp certified recruitment firm C&C Search, says her drive and motivation to succeed is sourced from the legacy she is leaving behind and the impact she is creating. ‘By celebrating and supporting female leaders, we can accelerate our journey towards a world where business is a force for positive change and where the ripple effects will be felt by all,’ says Lucy.

Lucy and her team are on a mission to create a more equitable world of work and use their profits to offer training and support to almost 7,000 women who have experienced career gaps for a huge range of reasons, empowering them to re-enter the workforce at the level they deserve to.

Lucy Chamberlain, founder of C&C Search. Credit: Ballard

DISCOVER: candcsearch.co.uk

Celebrating its 10th year, The Women’s Chapter has reached over 25,000 women through its events, thought leadership, membership and pro bono work. As part of its commitment to drive impact in the world, beyond its immediate community, TWC pledges five percent of all membership fees to its chosen charity partners, runs a pro bono membership and mentoring programme in partnership with The Prince’s Trust and runs a W.Walk & Talk series in counties around the country for all women, with all proceeds to charity.