Our Favorite Holiday Gifts from Women-Owned Brands: Women Who Travel Podcast

You can listen to the Women Who Travel podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify each week. Follow this link if you're listening on Apple News. All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

It's that time of year when sales are plentiful and gift buying (and giving) is top of mind. To help you weed through the options, we called up two of the most thoughtful gifters we know: Shanika Hillocks, Women Who Travel contributor and wine marketer, and Megan Spurrell, Travelers' senior editor. With gift ideas that range from cookbooks to book subscriptions to home goods—and even a few suitcases—we have suggestions from women-owned brands around the globe. (Still looking for more ideas? Check out our Women Who Travel gift guide for other options.)

Thanks to Megan and Shanika for joining us and to Brett Fuchs for engineering and mixing this episode. As a reminder, you can listen to new episodes of Women Who Travel on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, every Wednesday morning. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

Read a full transcription below.

Meredith Carey: Hi everyone and welcome to a very festive episode of Women Who Travel, a podcast from Condé Nast Traveler. I'm Meredith Carey, and with me as always is my co-host Lale Arikoglu.

Lale Arikoglu: Hello.

MC: This week, we're talking all about gifts. Now we have a ton of gift guides up on cntraveler.com, including one filled with suggestions from some of our favorite Women Who Travel contributors. But we wanted to give you even more ideas on what to gift the traveler in your life, or even gift yourself. So joining us to share their favorite gifts from women-owned companies, we're joined by Women Who Travel contributor and wine marketer, Shanika Hillocks, and Megan Spurrell, Travelers' senior editor. Thank you both so much for joining us today.

Shanika Hillocks: Lovely to be here.

MC: Shanika, why don't we start off with your first pick for a gift you are excited about this year?

SH: Absolutely. Well, earlier this year, I had the pleasure of taking a domestic trip to a place I had never been before. I headed out to the San Juan Islands off the coast of Seattle. And had the opportunity to meet an awesome purveyor who is creating some really lovely preserves as well as some shrubs using the fruit that is located on the island. That brand is called Girl Meets Dirt and there’s truly some really unique stuff coming out of the region. Some really awesome flavors and flavor combinations. I know the holiday season is often met with a lot of fun imbibing, but I like to balance that out with some non-al options, so love using the shrubs with some sparkling water; some Martinelli even, if you're going down that route; fresh herbs, like rosemary that are indicative of the holiday season. So I definitely wanted to shout her out, given I was able to not only meet her, but enjoy and continue to enjoy throughout the year.

MC: Do you have any favorite flavors that she makes that you would suggest to everyone?

SH: Yes, absolutely. So the peach was actually one of my favorites. I know peach is oftentimes super-summery, but I find that it works well if you're going to do non-al and if you do like a little bit of alcohol in there, you can totally pair with brown spirits, which really are a nice touch to the cooler temperatures here in New York.

MC: Oh, love it. It sounds so good. Also, what a fun name, Girl Meets Dirt. Megan, how about you? What are you looking forward to gifting or receiving, or just thinking about someone buying?

Megan Spurrell: Okay. So I have a list of 500 things. But first up, every year I'm really excited about the cookbooks that come out because I just feel like it's the kind of thing that I sometimes have trouble justifying for myself. Like you can only buy so many, and you can really go through your bank account doing it. But it's nice to just have beautiful cookbooks you can actually use and get covered in splattered oil, and have around the kitchen, and enjoy. So two that came out this year that I'm really excited about—that I'm sure I'm going to gift at least a few people—are Filipinx by Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan. It has a ton of Filipino recipes, and the cover is gorgeous, which I feel like is an important feature on a cookbook that you gift. And then also Colombiana by Mariana Valesquez, who also has some picks of her own in our Women Who Travel gift guide. I just feel like the Philippines and Colombia are both destinations I've loved traveling to. I'd love to get to understand a bit more about the food. And I love that they're written by women, who have experience and personal stories woven in. So those are two that are top of my list.

MC: I feel like you have quite a cookbook collection, so it's always good to hear recs about cookbooks coming from you. And by good collection, I mean a full bookcase of cookbooks.

MS: Yeah, I do love them.

LA: I also feel like unless someone is sort of vehemently anti-cookbook, you can't really go wrong with it as a gift. Especially after the last year, when we've all become more able in the kitchen. And there's a stack that I definitely have my eye on, one being a new cookbook from Missy Robbins called Pasta, who is a previous podcast guest and owner of the very, very popular Italian restaurants Misi and Lilia in Brooklyn. I have only ever managed to get a table there once. So yeah, I think I'm just going to have to teach myself to cook like Missy, because I don't know if I'm ever going to eat in the restaurant again.

SH: Great, great recommendation.

MS: Also, I've actually written about these plates that I love so much. They're not from a female-owned company, but Jono Pandolfi makes these beautiful ceramic bowls. And the brand actually has a collaboration with Missy Robbins for the holiday season of very pretty pasta bowls that would be right at home at Lilia or something. So you could pair those two, it's a nice little combo gift.

MC: We love a bundle. We love a bundle.

MS: Love a bundle. So another thing I love kind of going off the cookbook theme is, I just love stuff that you can actually eat. Whether it's really nice olive oils that a friend might not want to splurge on for themselves, or beautiful spices from somewhere. I know last year we were all gifting Brightland olive oil and Diaspora Co spices to everyone because they're fantastic and who wouldn't want to receive those things. I think something else that I'm going to gift a few people this year is from Pineapple Collaborative. It's a site that kind of brings together a bunch of content and they also have products about women owned brands and just like great things from around the world. And they have this set that includes... Like, it's sort of meant to be kitchen staples. But again, they're all produced by women. So there's an apple cider vinegar, there's an olive oil, and there's also, the newest thing they have is salt from the Maras salt flats in Peru. And their products are just really high quality. It's super easy to have those be the staples in your kitchen and know that they're coming from women around the world. So I think that gift set or different products from the Pineapple Collaborative are something I'm going to lean on this year.

MC: One of my suggestions is not for a gift per se, but it's a place to get gifts. There's this company called MakeReady, that runs hotels and gift shops—hotel gift shops—all over the U.S. They run one of my absolute all-time favorite hotel gift stores, which is Shop Commerce at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. But they also have the Keep Shop, that's at the Noelle in Nashville. There's one in Savannah and one in Charleston, too. And all of the picks in the store are made by this woman named Christine [Visneau]. And she just has this incredible eye for local makers in the towns and cities that the hotels are in. Just like generally cool staff, whether you want cool lighters or scarves, or just like knick-knacky things that are not stocking stuffers. They're like elevated versions of that. So they're cool enough that you could give them as gifts on their own.

They all have websites. So if you're just looking generally and perusing, Shop Commerce and Keep Shop are two places that I love. And I feel like hotel gift stores are always the place where I find all of the little things that I wouldn't have necessarily gone out of my way to buy for someone but that sometimes prove to be the best gifts, whether it's you find stationary or like the Shop Commerce store has special Stetson hats. So there's a little bit of everything. So if you're just looking for somewhere to buy gifts from, I'm pretty sure they ship all over the U.S. So Shop Commerce and Keep Shop that Christine Visneau works on. They're like... the very best.

MS: That's such a fun gift too, if someone wants to plan their postponed New Orleans trip. Like getting them something from somewhere there. Or again, talking about bundles, we love a gift card to a hotel or restaurant. So I think that's super cute. I'm probably going to steal that idea.

MC: Lale, what are some other gifts that you are thinking about?

LA: Okay. A gift that I would love to give someone—I have a few people in mind—is another book. So sorry, listeners. It's not actually a book. It's a book subscription from one of my favorite books shops called Persephone Books, which... Meredith is waving her arms around on Zoom. It's women-owned and also only sells and publishes women-authored books. And does a lot of runs of books that have gone out of print and short story collections. All of the books are designed in-house, their book jackets, and they are so beautiful. And I am not someone who cares about how aesthetically pleasing my bookshelves look, but they do look really, really lovely on a shelf. And they do a subscription service where you can have books sent to you monthly, and you can buy them as gift bundles. And I think it would be a wonderful way for someone to read authors that they might be familiar with already. I know they do some Shirley Jackson special editions, but also authors that you might not be so familiar with. And it feels like a really nice way to discover new and actually very old voices. I have long been in love with their shop in London, which sadly closed during the pandemic, but they still have a shop in Bath, and you can shop them online.

MC: I love their books so much. And really second, really second, with waving arms and actual words that suggestion. Shanika, back to you—I feel like a weather woman. What is your next pick?

SH: Absolutely. So I'm staying within the theme of domestic places. But I actually just stumbled upon this really awesome e-retailer and a brick-and-mortar shop that is based in Philly called YOWIE. It is owned by Shannon Maldonado. Her offerings range from everything from home goods, in terms of candles, really awesome mugs and cups, beautiful coffee table books, and a couple of other women-owned products as well. But I really enjoy her approach and how she is approaching this hybrid model in terms of being a business. The customer service is always so lovely. It's sent with a handwritten note anytime I receive a gift. And the shipping is quite quick, which I know in these times during the holidays that's of importance. So I wanted to shout out her. I have gifted [things from her store to] myself, for my home, as I am also too operating in a hybrid approach to just seeing things that really spark joy in the little vignettes around my apartment are great. And I think would make awesome gifts for everyone, from the hostess to someone who just enjoys having beautiful things in their environment.

MC: Lale, what is next on your list?

LA: It's something I want, need, but I also think—

MC: I like that correction.

LA: Yeah, just a little bit of a hint. But also I think it's something that's probably on lots of people's lists as they start to plan travel again. I really, really, really want a new suitcase. My carry-on, which has gotten me through many, many, many an adventure, and many, many, many a delayed flight really feels like it's on its last legs. A zip broke off it. It was already sort of tired before the pandemic. And then I didn't bother replacing it because I had nowhere to go. And suddenly, travel has returned. Life has gotten busier. And now I'm stuffing things in a suitcase that doesn't actually zip up properly. And suitcases are also investments, and can feel like a lot to spend on yourself—which I fully support and people should gift themselves with a nice new suitcase—but I think if you are willing to splurge on someone who you know loves travel and you want to treat, I think a brand new carry-on would be a fantastic gift. There's lots of brands that we like at Traveler. Personally, my two favorites are Arlo Skye and Paravel. The latter is definitely women-owned.

MS: I wasn't a suitcase person until I got first an Arlo Skye carry-on, and then a Paravel Aviator carry-on. It's like, okay, everyone needs to invest in a nice suitcase for themselves that they feel great rolling through the airport as you run to catch a flight. And yeah, I love that. Paravel also has like, if you want to do smaller things to kind of help someone work up to their suitcase purchase, their packing cubes are amazing. It makes me also feel like I'm finally the organized female traveler that I want to be. So a lot of good stuff on that site.

LA: One other Paravel product that I was just going to shout out, is their collapsible duffel, which I genuinely think is the best piece of luggage that's ever been designed. And it is so simple. It's literally just a soft shell, squishy duffel bag with an ingenious zip design. That means that you can fold it up and zip it up into the size of the small... I don't know what you'd call it, a small parcel? And you can slip it down the side of your carryon or your larger suitcase. And when you’re on your return trip, and have bought too many souvenirs, you have an extra bag that just magics itself out of nowhere.

MC: I have two very different things that I want to talk about. One of them is I would love a third pair of Brother Vellies cloud socks. I love these socks so freaking much. They are designed by Aurora James, who runs Brother Vellies. They come in so many different colors, and they are the softest, most cloud-like, like leg-warmer-meets-socks, that I have ever received. I have two pairs. I have one in gray and one in purple. And I have them on rotation already, even though it's only mid-fall. And I think I might need another pair. So they're just absolutely delightful.

And then the other thing that I think about all the time as things I want to receive and also gifts I like to give, are earrings. I know giving someone jewelry can be difficult. It's kind of like giving someone perfume. You never really know exactly what the person is going to be into, because it's such a personal thing. But there are three go-to brands for me, or stores, that I usually go to to shop for other people and also to shop for myself. One is an amazing store that Lale and Megan and I went to in Portland [Oregon] called OKO and they have a bunch of vintage jewelry and also amazing work from jewelry designers, female jewelry designers. We really loved walking into that store and they have a bunch of stuff online, which is great. And then another one of my go-tos is this brand called Alchemilla. I honestly never know how to say it because it's a lot of letters in a row, but it is a woman in Dallas who makes these like beaded botanical earrings. They're really beautiful. And they come in tons of colors. They also come in like just gold or just silver. So I always feel like I have a lot of options, especially if I'm buying for someone who, like myself, likes very large earrings. She has tons of those. And then my last suggestion for where to buy jewelry is this brand called EDAS, E-D-A-S, all caps. And they make such amazing bags and some really sculptural, minimalist, but interesting earrings, which I love to give and receive. I just think that earrings for an earring person, you will never have too many. So it's always a good thing to give someone if you notice that they like to switch up what is stuck in their ears.

LA: Shanika, I actually have a question for you, which is for some advice. We've had you on the podcast before, to tap you through your wine expertise. And I think buying wine for people can be a really nice gift that goes beyond just showing up for dinner. But if you don't know what a person's palette is, how do you go about buying a nice, special wine that you want to gift someone?

SH: Absolutely. I think similarly to your recommendation, in terms of a book subscription, a wine club is a really lovely gift to give, especially if they're spearheaded by sommeliers and wine professionals. There are some really beautiful options led by some really great concepts here in New York. One in particular, it's a great in-real-life experience, if you have the pleasure. But Cote is a great restaurant here, a Korean steakhouse that is based in New York, as well as Miami. I think they opened that location about two years ago. But now they have launched, as of this year, an amazing wine club with selections that are spearheaded by the beverage director, Victoria James. And it's a really nice showcase of various wines from both Old World and New World. It’s an awesome display of how you can really get into the regions without knowing too much. It also comes with some great educational materials that aren't too stuffy, but very palatable—pun intended. So I would recommend definitely tapping a wine club, and especially knowing that it is spearheaded by an awesome woman in that industry. That's a nice touch.

MC: Shanika, I'm going to go back to you again. We're going to double up on suggestions from you. What else do you have on your list to give this year?

SH: So there are several moms that are now in my life, my sister included. And so just being able to put together gifts for not only her, but the baby, as this great life change evolves, has been really joyous for me. One of the brands that I stumbled upon, right when I knew that my sister was expecting was Evereden. It is owned by a woman who used to be on Wall Street and turned into an entrepreneur and really, her mission is to offer skincare for all stages of pregnancy, after birth, et cetera. And so she makes some really lovely products that are not only safe for skin, but also just look really lovely on a vanity. I've gifted that now to my sister and a couple other friends as part of their baby shower list. I think, oftentimes, it's so easy to think about what we're gifting baby, and I love to really prioritize moms, too. So, that is another brand that I'm really excited about. She is fully online, so easy to get via the website.

MC: Amazing. Megan, what is next for you?

MS: I think something that I've started investing a lot more in, is trying to find clothing items that I love from small independent brands in different parts of the world. That can also be really time consuming and require a lot of Instagram rabbit holes. And I think when we've been home over the past year, it's felt a little harder to get really good inspiration on new brands and to shop. So a website I always turn to that for some people will either be totally obvious or somewhere they've never of is Lisa Says Gah. It's female-owned by Lisa Bühler and it was found in San Francisco. I think they're based out of LA now. But they're online and it's basically like all indie brands, a lot are women owned. There's a huge focus on sustainability. And I think of those brands like Paloma Wool, which is run by a woman out of Barcelona, or Mandinga, which is owned by two sisters in Uruguay. You kind of have to find like dealers for them. You might see their really cool stuff on Instagram, and then you have to figure out where to shop it.

I feel like even throughout the pandemic, Lisa Says Gah has been really fast on shipping. They always have cute fun stuff. So yeah, I would just never turn down a gift card from there. And I feel like there's a lot of women in my life who would kind of like an excuse to spend a little more money there. So it's an easy one. Something cute for your next trip, you know?

LA: I would love a gift card from there, for anyone who's listening.

MS: I know. I'm like who do I send this to?

MC: We will send this to everyone in your life. We'll send some unsubtle hints. Lale, what is your last pick for this episode?

LA: I can't figure out if my last pick is a bit of a cheat. But it solved a problem for me. I think it would be a nice creative way to maybe solve it for some other people. But I had a very large JetBlue travel credit left over from March 2020, that I kept on spending on flights that then kept on getting canceled. And I have kicked this credit down the road for almost two years. And it got to the point where I was just like, I don't know how I'm going to spend it before it next expires. And then it dawned on me that I could use it to buy some flights to take me and someone I love on a trip. And take them away for a long weekend, which is what I decided to do in the end. And now I feel very excited about it, and it feels like a very luxurious gift to give, but it's money I spent so long ago that it doesn't really feel like real money anymore. And it was money I was never going to get back. And now I have this extra surprise trip that I get to look forward to and plan for this person. So that is my tip for anyone else who's been lumbered with a travel credit.

MC: I feel like the nice thing about planning a trip for someone else that you are also going to go on, is that you're essentially just gifting yourself a trip too. So if you have a significant other, or a best friend, or a mom, that you want to gift something big. I know that a couple weeks ago, when we did our FAQ episode, we talked about a woman who was planning a trip with her mom to give her a gift for her birthday. I think giving—this sounds so cheesy—but giving the gift of travel is not only good for the person you're giving it to, but if you're going with them, it is such a nice, lovely thing to look forward to for you too.

LA: Yeah. It's a very selfish gift. I'm very excited.

MS: If you're on a budget and if you are the traveler of your family or friends, it also is really nice to just plan someone's trip. I feel like a lot of people... I mean, I'm sure all of us here get this all the time. Someone's like my parents are going on their anniversary trip to Hawaii, or my partner and I want to take a safari, we don't know anything, help us plan it. And it's actually really a gift to be able to do that for someone. So I think if there's someone in your life who you also know maybe is putting off a trip. They have the means, they just are not getting it together to go. That can be a nice thing to do.

SH: I love that. To build on that, that is also something that contributes to the feel good hormones in your body, even if you don't end up actually going on the trip. So definitely good energy that's cultivated in the act of planning for someone else.

MC: Oh, that feels like such a lovely way to end this episode. Thank you guys for sharing all of your ideas. Shanika, if people want to follow you on the internet and see—should you post it on your stories—what you end up gifting the people in your life, where can they find you on the internet?

SH: Absolutely. I can be found @shanikahillocks, that's just my first and last name put together on Instagram, as well as on my dot com with the same name.

MC: Amazing. And Megan, where can people find you?

MS: I'm @spurrelly on Instagram.

MC: You can find me @ohheytheremere.

LA: And me, at @lalehannah.

MC: Be sure to check cntraveler.com for tons of more gift ideas—when I say tons, I really mean tons—as well as our Women Who Travel gift guide. We will link all of the things that we talked about today, as well as those gift guides, in the show notes. Be sure to also follow Women Who Travel on Instagram, and sign up for our biweekly newsletter. Thanks again for joining us. And we'll talk to everyone else next week.