Empowered women empower women. This year, put your money where your mouth is and support your local lady-entrepreneurs. Here’s a list of female-owned shops to peruse and patronize on Sunday, March 8 — International Women’s Day. From gadgets and gizmos aplenty, to whozits and whatzits galore, these ladies have (and sell) them all.

Discount Candles 1400 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-566-0092 Need some good luck or something to lift your spirits? Stop by Discount Candles and browse their vast collection of 7-Day candles — favorites include “Bitch Be Gone,” “Law Stay Away,” “Fast Luck,” and “Spider Woman.” Donna Adams runs this Eastern Market shop and is known for taking the time to prayer over candles and with her customers. While it was rumored the 25-year-old store would close, Adams says she’s not going anywhere. Photo via DIscount Candles Detroit / Facebook
Bon Bon Bon 11360 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-236-5581 and 719 Griswold St., Suite 100, Detroit; 313-316-1430 If it’s not yet obvious, there is a special place in our hearts for chocolatier Alexandra Clark — the woman behind Bon Bon Bon. Since its inception in the back of a Coney Island in Hamtramck, Bon Bon Bon has garnered national accolades and gained a loyal following of lovers of unconventional flavors. We love her chocolates so much, we featured them in our list of the best desserts of 2017. Forget diamonds, chocolate is a girl’s best friend. Photo via Bon Bon Bon / Facebook
Source Booksellers 4240 Cass Ave. #105, Detroit; 313-832-1155 Proprietor Janet Webster Jones has been in the bookselling business for nearly three decades. The retired Detroit Public Schools teacher began selling books at a church bazaar and later started what would be known in today’s world as a pop-up shop. Shoppers can find a trove of books on history and culture, health and well-being, metaphysics and spirituality, and more. She also makes sure to stock books by and about women — perfect for celebrating International Women’s Day. Photo via Source Booksellers / Facebook
Eldorado General Store 1700 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-784-9220 Erin Gavle quit her job, bought a van named Betsy, and took a road trip from California to Detroit. She stopped in several states along the way, picking up trinkets, clothing, home goods, jewelry, crystals, and anything else that struck her fancy at garage sales, craft fairs, Indian reservations, and thrift stores. All of these would soon become the stock at her store, Eldorado. Photo via Eldorado General Store / Facebook
Drifter Coffee Brick-and mortar-location coming soon Drifter Coffee is the brainchild of a local barista and entrepreneurial student Alleah Webb. Since hitting the roads of southeast Michigan in 2015, Drifter Coffee has been caffeinating Detroiters out of the window of their Serro Scotty Guacho camper. Webb has announced she will be open a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Ferndale soon. Photo via Drifter Coffee / Facebook
Sister Pie 8066 Kercheval Ave., Detroit; 313-447-5550 We’ve been charmed by the handcrafted pies and whimsical ambiance that come out of Lisa Ludwinski’s Sister Pie for a while. With this month’s pie flavors including honey lemon meringue, red hot chocolate, salted maple, and red beet, it’s pretty obvious why we’re in love. Photo via Sister Pie / Facebook
Mama Coo’s Boutique 1701 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-404-2543 A rich combination of forces mold Lana Rodriguez’s boutique into a neighbourhood treasure. The store spent time as a pop up in Detroit and New York before finding its home in Corktown. The Southwest native stocks her stop with vintage clothing and jewelry at honest prices. Photo via Mama Coo’s Boutique / Facebook
Peacock Room/Frida/YAMA 15 E. Kirby St.; 313-559-5500 3011 W. Grand Blvd.; 313-315-3061 Rachel Lutz’s Peacock Room has been a favorite of local shoppers since just about the day it opened. Located inside the Park Shelton off Woodward Avenue in Midtown, the little store has adorable dressers and pretty accessories to offer shoppers. This year she opened a flagship location in the Fisher Building and her Photo via Peacock Room / Facebook
Savvy Chic 2712 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-833-8769 When Karen Brown set out sixteen years ago she was surrounded by meat, literally. As one of Eastern Market’s first boutique shops she has a style all her own; Paris meets the Midwest. This is fitting considering Detroit’s french influence and history as a 1700’s settlement. The space totes home goods as well as men and womens’ fashion and gifts, we love gifts. Photo via Savvy Chic / Facebook
3 Dogs 1 Cat 2472 Riopelle, Detroit; 313-285-8371 If there’s one thing Detroiters love, it’s slapping Detroit iconography onto everything — from mugs and coasters to blankets and now, our pets. The Eastern Market boutique owned by Trisha Stander, Rita Nelson, and Tammy Eugenio carries Detroit Manufacturing collars and leashes, plus plenty of healthy and organic pet care items. Every so often they host in-store adoption events, so if you’re really looking to get a dog that’s Detroit through and through, this is the place to do it. Photo via 3 Dogs 1 Cat / Facebook
9 Month Bump 121 Elm St., Wyandotte; 313-307-7491 Founded by a mother of three, this store provides mothers-to-be with comfortable and affordable maternity clothing that is available locally. 9 Month Bump not only appeals to mothers while pregnant, but also after their children are born. This store has adorable matching outfits for mommy and the baby as well as toys and accessories to bond over. Stop by this store on your way to your next baby shower! Photo via 9 Month Bump / Facebook
BORO 1440 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-888-9648 Miriam Pranschke opened Boro on Gratiot Avenue a little less than a year ago and has been expanding in items since. Pranschke focuses on gently used upscale items, so you’re likely to find a total steal here. Photo via Boro Resale / Facebook
Cass Corridog 4240 Cass Ave. #110, Detroit; 313-775-1018 This small shop is filled to the brim with all things animal. Owner Michelle Potas, a Detroit native, is thrilled to share a section of this revitalized neighborhood. The store features a mix of locally made products at reasonable prices to keep your pets happy as well as a bakery for your favorite furry friends. Their friendly staff is always willing to help and the dog park is right around the corner. Photo via Cass Corridog / Facebook
City Bark 1222 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-881-2275 Proprietress Jamie Judson prides herself on providing affordable pet supplies to metropolitan pet owners. City Bark offers puppy shampoo, breath-freshening spray, bug-repellent spray, and more. The shop also hosts mobile groomers and vaccine clinics. Photo viaCity Bark / Facebook
Detroit Cookie Co. 23421 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-246-8060 Self-proclaimed Cookie Lady, Lauren Roumayah, founded Detroit Cookie Co. to the great pleasure of all of our collective inner children. Detroit Cookie Co. boasts a wide selection of flavors. For the classic cookie lovers there are traditional flavors like chocolate chunk and brown butter pecan. For those looking to thrill their taste buds, there are Detroit-inspired flavors such as Mad Mix — Better Made sweet barbecue chips and ButterFinger, and Big 3 — Michigan dried cherries, Better Made potato chips, and chocolate chunks. All we’re missing is a tall glass of milk. Photo via Detroit Cookie Company & Cafe / Facebook
Dolly Rocker’s Handmade and Vintage 1642 Fort St., Detroit Cara Lundgren expresses her creative abilities with the world through fashion. She carries vintage and vintage-inspired items in her Etsy shop, and also peddles her wares throughout the city of Detroit at various outdoor markets. Did you spot something on her Instagram, but want to try it before you buy it? She’s happy to meet up with prospective customers so they can try on Photo via Dolly Rocker’s Handmade And Vintage / Facebook
For the Love of Sugar 100 Erskine St., Detroit; 313-788-7111 For the Love of Sugar is the ultimate one-stop shop to cure any insatiable sweet tooth. From their triple berry vanilla bean cake to Captain Crunch-flavored macarons, the combinations of flavors are seemingly endless. Founded by self-proclaimed cake connoisseur Manal Hussein, For the Love of Sugar quickly became a Brush Park destination after opening in December 2017. The glamorous decor will bring you in and the vegan-friendly treats will make you stay. Photo via For the Love of Sugar Detroit / Facebook
Glow Fish Studios 2840 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte; 734-552-6323 Glow Fish Studios is filled with quirky and fun home goods, toys, cards, books, personal accessories, and jewelry. It’s the sort of place you could spend hours meandering around, sniffing at waxy candles, examining painted tiles, and playing the addictively entertaining game of kendama. Come in to stare at the the colorful parasols and be prepared to walk out with your arms full of knickknacks. Photo via Glow Fish Studios / Facebook
JKM Candles Wyandotte; 734-649-5053 Nearly eight years ago stay-at-home mom Jenny Rostkowski started JKM Candles, and we are so glad she did. Some of our favorite scents include Butt Naked, Toasted Marshmallow, Vernor’s, Domestic Goddess, and her Harry Potter-themed collection. Her candles are sold around town at shops like Kitty Deluxe, City Bird, The Eyrie, and Well Done Goods. Photo via JKM Soy Candles / Facebook
Leon & Lulu 96 W. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-288-3600 The stock at this converted roller rink is nothing short of eclectic and includes high end and custom furniture, women’s clothing, gifts, accessories, and more. A recent 7,800 square foot addition, referred to as “The Show,” is home to the Three Cats Cafe serving tea and lunches. Who are Leon and Lulu? The owner’s cat and dog. Photo via Leon & Lulu / Facebook
New Order Coffee Roasters 3100 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-784-9164 Midtown’s newest coffee shop is also its cutest. Owned by Detroit native Elizabeth Rose, New Order’s drink offerings include microbrewed by-the-cup coffee, handcrafted espresso drinks, cold brew and nitro cold brew, teas, and an array of eccentric specialty lattes. As the old saying goes, a coffee shop is only as good as its Instagram friendliness. Photo via New Order Coffee / Facebook
Saffron 308 W. 4th St.,Royal Oak; 248-541-8000 This boho boutique is a must see if you’re in downtown Royal Oak. You will probably catch owner/operator Marianne Petrus in the store helping customers and generally just being a really awesome person. The store totes graphic tees, flowy dresses, and eccentric earrings and bags. A type of old school cool you don’t see often in the ever so dominant world of fast fashion. Photo via Saffron / Facebook
Tekla Vintage 9600 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-638-2768 Hamtramck mayor Karen Majewski operates this resale store located in the heart of the city, and fills it with vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Photo via Tekla Vintage / Facebook
The Vintage Market 3775 S. Custer Rd., Monroe; 734-344-1079 Dubbing themselves the “Backroad Divas,” best friends Angela Guzzardo and Rina Belanger started The Vintage Market in 2014. Their first outdoor market was a huge hit and out of that was born a series of events that take place on the Monroe County Fairgrounds several times a year. Now, they’re adding a brick and mortar element to their business by opening a store in downtown Wyandotte. Photo via The Vintage Market, LLC. / Facebook
Tulani Rose 4201 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-832-2477 Proprietor Sharon Dell has kept this Midtown gem shining for over 10 years, sharing in the recent growth and revival of the community. The beauty and welcoming vibes of her store alone have brought people in from all over the world. Photo via Tulani Rose / Facebook
Well Done Goods 1440 Gratiot Ave. 1D, Detroit; 313-404-2053 “What happens when aliens crash-land in Detroit with a flying-saucer-load of design favorites from the MoMA Store, a local screenprinting shop, and the contents of a natural history museum’s basement?” A store so cool we gave it a cover in 2016. Proprietor Bethany Shore sells a mix of jewelry, apothecary jars, candles, T-shirts, and other quirky items here. Photo via Well Done Goods / Facebook
BotaniQ 2540 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; 313-450-1400 BotaniQ is a vertically integrated store that creates marijuana products from start to finish. Inside everything is white and stainless steel-looking, except for some rugs adding color — and the cool marijuana leaf motif that appears around the place. It’s spacious, which is a distinct contrast to the cramped quarters at some other pot shops. Photo via BotaniQ / Facebook
Flamingo Vintage 5449 W Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 214-538-5985 It took vintage fanatic Nikki Neuzil and her husband, a Detroit native, three years to relocate from Austin and nearly a year and a half to scope out the perfect storefront. Eventually, she landed on a hundred-year-old space with a rich retail past in Southwest Detroit. Flamingo Vintage offers a mix of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories from the 1920s through the ’80s as well as furniture and mid-century home decor. Photo via Flamingo Vintage / Facebook
Rat Queen Vintage 10031 Jos Campau, Hamtramck Rat Queen Vintage and 3-Ring Traveling Apothecary share a store that offers a variety of goods including rare books, clothing, scents, essential oils, perfumes, prop skulls and more. Photo via Rat Queen Vintage / Facebook
Kaydense Galleria 202 W 4th St, Royal Oak; 248-905-1335 Kaydense Galleria is fashion shop located in Royal Oak offering a plethora of unique clothing items and accessories. The store carries pieces “for the modern chic women who desires to enhance their personal style,” according to its website. Photo via Kaydense Galleria / Facebook
Flo Boutique 404 W. Willis, Detroit; 313-831-4901 This Midtown boutique is a dream turned reality for owner Felicia Patrick. She has a passion for fashion that runs deeply through her boutique filled simple and eclectic clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Photo via Flo Boutique / Facebook
Détroit is the New Black 1426 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-818-3498 From “Detroit Hustles Harder” to “RUN DET” to “Detroit vs. Everybody,” it seems like our fair metropolis might have more city pride T-shirts per capita than any other place on the planet. Owner, Roslyn Karamoko, started this clothing line to elevate the branding of Detroit and to meet the trajectory of the city’s future. In 2015, Karamoko told us, “I think there’s a new element coming to Detroit, and it’s a bit more cosmopolitan. It’s the new hip place to be.” Three years later, her statements still ring true. Photo via Detroit Is the New Black / Facebook
Coup D’état 3044 W. Grand Blvd. Suite L-460, Detroit; 313-782-4480 Coup D’état stands out among the Detroit retail landscape for more reasons than just, say, the colorblocked Kurt Lyle Novia dress, which pairs athleisure with bold bridesmaid energy; or the furry Flaming Cheeto bucket bag by Primecut, a maker from Oregon that uses responsibly sourced cowhides and shearlings to craft textural patchwork bags; or the Clog Boot by Ariana Bohling Parker Alpine, the perfect shoe for living lodge (ski lodge, that is). “I want to encourage people to think outside of a cookie-cutter outfit that you might see spoon-fed to you in media, in ads, or by big chain stores, which is sort of rebellious,” Wisniewski says. “Thinking independently and buying from independent vendors, that in and of itself is rebellious. Going into a locally owned space, getting off your phone, and closing out your Amazon app — that is considered rebellious now.” Photo by Sal Rodriguez https://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/angela-wisniewski-on-her-new-detroit-boutique-coup-detat-and-why-rebellion-starts-in-the-closet/Content?oid=23210818
Good Neighbor 1435 Farmer St #115, Detroit; 313-788-7800 Good Neighbor offers “a curated collection of stylish wardrobe essentials for men and women,” according to its website. There, you can find brands like Lacausa, Level 99, Grayer, Goodman, ABLE, York Projects, Gentle Fawn, Goldeluxe, and more. Photo via Good Neighbor / Facebook

Have something to share?

SEND US A NEWS TIP

Since 1980, Metro Times has been Detroit’s premier alternative source for news, arts, culture, music, film, food, fashion and more from a liberal point of view.