Christmas time is well and truly here!
With your tree up and glowing with fairy lights, the familiar tunes of WHAM! filling the air, and thoughtful gifts tucked away in your closet (most likely still in their packaging, ready for a late night wrapping session), you find yourself almost ready to hit save on your Christmas preparations.
But if you’re anything like us, you’ll have just a few more KK’s, Secret Santas and gifts for close friends to go!
To help, our founder Dani has put together this list of female-founded brands to support and shop this Christmas. Chosen because they represent much of the Merry People spirit, these entrepreneurs have sought what makes them feel happy and alive, just like Dani did back in Merry People’s early days. We hope you find something here that catches your eye, and brings new adventure and merriness to someone in your life this Christmas.
jnr.life
Melbourne, Victoria | @jnr.life
“I can't wait to use their products when my bub comes along in a couple of weeks!” – Dani
Founded by Melbourne mums Nicole Davis and Ashleigh Pyke, the thoughtful yet playful designs of their jnr.life products are made to nurture imagination and encourage play. Our favourite part of the jnr.life philosophy is how their products are made to last beyond the little years, and just like our boots and clogs, blend fun and functionality. Their soft and aesthetic play mats, shapes and sets complement any colour-lovers’ interior space.
Photos above: thegracetales
Anorakki
Macedon, Victoria | @anorakki_thestore
Four years ago, Macedon-based mums Jemma and Silje brought the classic and versatile anorak design all the way over from Sweden to our shores – lucky us! Machine-washable, practical, scrunchable, and uniquely stylish, their light-weight, waterproof jackets are made to last a lifetime. Dani always reaches for her Anorakki jacket when walking her dog Sadie, “They’re not too bulky, they’re waterproof, have a lot of pockets and come in so many gorgeous colours!”. Like our customer-favourite Bobbi Boot, the Anorakki jacket is unisex, and comes in children’s sizes too!
The Dusty Collective
South Gippsland, Victoria | @thedustycollective
This jewellery brand is near and dear to Dani’s heart! Founded by fellow local South Gippslander, Burgan, The Dusty Collective design and craft colourful earrings made from polymer clay.
Burgan sells her earrings on her website and at local farmer’s markets (and has actually also made studs that match our Bobbi Boots!).
Damn Gina
Melbourne, Victoria | @damn.gina.au
The idea for Damn Gina was born on a trip to Italy in 2019, where – after years of struggling with all kinds of unsuitable hair care products and treatments – founder Sumana realised her dream of creating colourful, beautiful and high quality silk hair turbans. Dani and Sumana met at the South Melbourne markets in the early days when they had both left their 9-5s, and became really good friends. All about embracing the curl, Damn Gina is beloved for bright, comfy, ethically and well-made hair products (including all-new silk-lined bucket hats!) that make you feel good and look amazing!
Pinky & Kamal
Byron Bay, New South Wales | @pinkyandkamal
Natalie Carusi founded Pinky & Kamal in 2015, starting out at Melbourne markets alongside Merry People (Nat is another one of Dani’s market-friends-for-life!). Creating technical, ready-to-wear activewear that lasts beyond a fashion season is just one of the many things we love about Pinky & Kamal. Nat is a fashion designer and does all the prints herself; they are super comfy and come in gorgeous colours. Dani is stocking up on some for postpartum home life! Akin to our signature everyday Bobbi Boots, Pinky & Kamal’s pieces are designed to be worn beyond just the ‘active’. Leisure, work and play, these conscious threads are for life in all its stages.
Mustard Made
England & Australia | @mustardmade
The story of how this brand came to be is truly a locker love story, and a cross-continental one at that! Founded in 2017 by two sisters, Becca (in Australia) and Jess (in England), Mustard Made began from a long-held dream to start a business together, built on a product they were passionate about.
And we’re so glad that they landed on lockers; we could not imagine having anything less colourful and *us* in our office! These two sisters have built a beautiful brand from the ground up, and we absolutely adore their collection of mix-and-match, vibrant lockers for home, work and play.
Kollab
Rosebud, Victoria | @kollabcollection
Kollab is a pretty and practical (and pretty practical!) picnic-ware brand, co-founded by a pair of friends, Jessica and Hayley. Fast forward to now, the team has grown under the leadership of Hayley, now CEO, all working together on a mission to create a collection of essential, everyday storage solutions – with a creative twist! True to its name, Kollab works with Australian artists on their unique designs, sharing home-grown artistry all over the globe. Within their resplendent range of products is something for everyone; market totes, cooler bags, wet bags, picnic blankets and more.
'Tis Always The Season To Shop Female-Founded Businesses!
This is so much more than a Christmas list of brands to shop with; whether or not you’ve ‘wrapped up’ on all your gifting, we think this list of female-founded small businesses is definitely one for you to save for the future!
