Find the Perfect Gift at These Ten Diverse-owned Seattle Small Businesses
The season of gifting and giving is the perfect opportunity to express appreciation for the people in our life while getting to know and supporting some of the local businesses that make Seattle special.
Downtown
Marlo Miyashiro celebrates high quality handcrafted goods at The Handmade Showroom. Swing by her curated space to find thoughtful alternatives to mass-produced goods, including unique art, housewares, small-batch snacks, kids’ gear, and stylish clothes—all made by artisans from across the United States. Visit Marlo and her team on the 3rd floor of the newly revamped Pacific Place shopping center.
Ventures Marketplace Laura Clise
Want your holiday shopping to make a difference for dozens of rising entrepreneurs? Head to Ventures Marketplace, an eclectic retail space and business incubator, to find a variety of affordable, handmade gifts such as clothes and accessories, pantry foods, body care products, and art and stationery made by more than 80 local artists and makers. Ventures’ store, located in Pike Place Market, supports these artisans working to improve their lives through small business ownership.
Belltown
Since she immigrated to the United States, Zambian fashion influencer Frilancy Hoyle dreamed of owning her own women’s clothing boutique. Rabecca Onassis Boutique is that dream come to life. The curated selection at this neighborhood boutique features feminine dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes, and more. At Frilancy’s boutique, you and your loved ones will get one-on-one styling and assistance from her team, whatever the season or occasion.
When Sassafras first opened its doors in December 2012, owner Amy Tipton set up her own dining table as a display table and buckled in for holiday sales. Today, Sassafras continues to provide hyper-locally made sustainable clothing options for customers looking for timeless alternatives to fast fashion. The space often hosts trunk shows and arts events and has become a key part of Seattle’s local fashion community.
In addition to the boutique, there’s studio space downstairs where local designers and makers craft many of the unique clothes and jewelry in-house.
Pioneer Square
Inside their beautiful, bright fashion boutique, Velouria co-owners Chika Eustace and Cat Wilcox feature garments and accessories created by indie designers from the U.S. and Canada. They are dedicated to supporting sustainable, modern design, and fostering meaningful relationships with their featured designers. In addition, Velouria donates 2% of customer purchases to a different nonprofit organization each month.
Chinatown-International District
Sairen Laura Clise
Want to support designers who took a risk launching a brick-and-mortar during the pandemic? Meet Sairen, founded by longtime friends Kaitlin Uemura and Kaitlin Madriaga in 2020. The Sairen team is focused on supporting people aiming to level-up their personal style with eclectic handmade, design-driven fashion and homewares. In addition to one-of-a-kind clothing items and accessories, Sairen boasts an eclectic mix of Japanese, Hawaiian, and locally made goods. Uemura and Madriaga also take pride in showcasing works by local artists on the shop’s walls, as well as sharing knowledge about the city’s Nihonmachi—a.k.a. Japantown—community.
Capitol Hill
Owned by artist Lauren Tilden, Station 7 is a home and dry goods shop that sources local, handmade goods from women-led businesses. At Lauren’s store, find a wide, curated variety of gifts ranging from home decor and plants to books, jewelry, and cards, including her own Good Sheila designs. When you shop at Station 7, you get a glimpse into Seattle’s past—the beautiful 1920s brick building now housing her home and dry goods store was once a fire station and used by the Seattle Fire Department until 1970.
Central District
Kiko, owner of Cura Co. Laura Clise
The Cura Co. is the brainchild of Kiko Eisner-Waters who sought to build an art gallery and design boutique to highlight artisan, eco-conscious goods made by women all around the world. The Cura Co. is committed to cultivating more socially conscious consumers and connecting people through the origin stories of its merchandise. When you give a gift from The Cura Co., you’re gifting loved ones a unique and thoughtfully selected item while continuing to share its story.
Treat your loved ones (or yourself!) with a gift from QueenCare. Monika Mathews’ skincare and beauty supply store carries a carefully selected array of handcrafted, aromatherapeutic skincare products, candles, fragrances, and bath goods to help uplift your mood. Monika says each product is infused with good energy, love, and natural goodness to help you and your loved ones heal—all while leaving your body feeling luxuriously cared for. Feel-good-fact: A portion of the proceeds at QueenCare supports youth programming in Seattle and King County.
Ballard
Sacred Circle Gallery and Gift Shop
Owned by the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, The Sacred Circle Gift Shop is home to a curated collection of Native-made and designed goods. The shop is centered on historical and contemporary Indigenous activism and carries a range of artisan-made items including clothing, organic beauty products, skateboards, children’s books, art, and jewelry. Stay in the loop: The Sacred Circle Gift Shop also hosts monthly arts events, and a gallery featuring works by Native artists.
Roosevelt
At Lulumière, art meets science in the craft of candle-pouring. Linda Takano opened her brick-and-mortar space in 2021, but she’s been running the soy wax candle and bath business since 2013. Find unique candles and shower steamers to delight your loved ones’ senses with scents inspired by the Pacific Northwest’s forests, clear waters, and wild flora. Linda also includes essential oils in each candle in hopes of encouraging renewal and deep breaths—which is just what many of us may need headed into a new year.
Looking for additional ideas that support diverse local businesses? Intentionalist’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guides make it easy to find something thoughtful for everyone on your list!
About the Author
Laura Clise
The founder and CEO of Intentionalist, Laura Clise, is a corporate intrapreneur turned social entrepreneur with a passion for instigating impact at the intersection of business and society. Prior to founding Intentionalist, she held a variety of corporate roles leading sustainability, corporate responsibility, supplier diversity, and external communications. She serves on board of directors for IslandWood and Athlete Ally and can sing and/or order chocolate ice cream in Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Cambodian, Hebrew, and Turkish. Laura is an Aspen Institute First Mover Fellow and alumna of Carleton College and the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
More Posts By Laura Clise
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Hi Good Morning! I read the blog and I found helpful. Thank you for sharing.