Loungewear, candles, jewelry, leather goods, teas – it’s all on this year’s PHL Inno holiday gift guide, which showcases goods made and sold by Philadelphia-area artisans.
This year, we’ve rounded up 25 gifts from local startups or those with ties to the region that are ideal for gift giving this holiday season. Below, find items grouped by category. They include food and drink, home goods, jewelry and accessories, apparel, and skincare and haircare.
Food & Drink
Goodlands Food Co.’s Big Bold Spice Flight
$25
Penn alum Anna Dausman launched her hot sauce company in 2021. She creates small-batch, seasonally inspired flavors, including the Big Bold Spice Flight. Inspired by the flavors of autumn, it includes four hot sauces: Spiced Cranberry, Maple Chili Garlic, Sweet Ghost Pepper, and Carrot Habanero. Her Classics Spice Flight includes Maple Chili Garlic, Carrot Habanero, Orange Habanero, and Serrano Cilantro Lime hot sauces.
Terra Luna’s Herbal Tea Sampler Set
$46
Elise Hanks launched West Kensington-based Terra Luna Herbals in 2015 and has since grown the business to include skincare, fresh-cut flowers and teas. Her Herbal Tea Sample includes three loose leaf teas, a linen tea bag, and a glass mug in green or amber.
Olive Lucy Cranberry Delight Gift Basket
$60-$68
Perfect for the home cook, this gift basket from Jenkintown-based Olive Lucy includes Persian lime olive oil, cranberry pear balsamic vinegar, a jar of creamed raw honey and cranberries, and a cranberry raspberry blood orange spread. A “junior”-sized basket, which has 200-milliliter bottles, is $59.90, while a regular, or 375-milliliter bottle size is $68. The company is run by Villanova University and University of Pennsylvania alum Rishona Myers.
$40
Indian cuisine has never been easier to prepare thanks to Moji Masala. Each package contains pre-measured ingredients for a single dish while a QR code directs users to a video with step-by-step instructions. The brainchild of a husband-and-wife duo now based in Chestnut Hill, this set includes packets for Moji’s Garam, plus five types of masalas: Sweet, Fish, Aloo, Mushroom and Baingan.
Sparrow’s Snacks’ Taste of Philly
$57
Ideal for longtime residents, those that have moved away and are homesick, or friends and family in town for the holidays, Sparrow’s Snack has compiled a few Philly favorites in this gift set. It includes fresh butter popcorn, caramel corn and its Philly Pop, plus a Like Philly candle, matches and a soft pretzel-inspired ornament. Based in South Jersey, Sparrow’s also has a location in Reading Terminal Market.
Home Goods
State of Being’s Radiant Candle
$35
Based in Philadelphia, this local hand-poured candle brand offers daily affirmations which are meant to help the user connect with a desired feeling or state of being through the repetition of lighting the candle and saying the intended phrase, in addition to scent. With a burn time of about 50 hours, the Radiant candle is the perfect gift for those looking to kick off the new year right. It has notes of grapefruit, vetiver, passionfruit and pink peppercorn and is emblazoned with this affirmation: “I am radiant. I bring light to this world when I honor my heart's desires. I am radiant.”
LowTide Ocean Products’ Dune High Backpack Beach Chair
$180
Created by a brother and sister who spent summers at the Jersey Shore, LowTide Ocean Products is based in Cherry Hill and makes beach chairs from plastic pulled from the ocean. A great gift for those already dreaming of the dog days, they offer two chair styles for adults and one for children that come in dozens of prints.
Mt. Airy Candle Co.’s Cranberry Woods Candle
$23.50-$32.50
A scent befitting the season, Cranberry Woods has notes of cherries, citrus and cinnamon, in addition to red currants and leaves. The candle comes in a 9.5-ounce glass tumbler or a 14-ounce lidded glass tumbler. The brand – created by an Ikea marketer – got its start in the Mt. Airy home of founder Marques Davis, who earlier this year relocated to a studio and retail space within the Rittenhouse Hill Apartments near Germantown.
$199
Whether they’re looking to get into home gardening or want to upgrade their current containers, Harvi Garden makes it easy. Founded by Conshohocken branding agency 20nine Ventures, Harvi Garden modular containers are self-watering and can be stacked and configured like Legos to maximize small spaces. The Harvi container comes in five colors, can hold 1.5 gallons of water and measures 31.5 inches long and 15.75 inches tall and wide.
$18-$1,425
Handmade in Philadelphia, Felt+Fat is a chef-inspired line of ceramic tableware that’s been used in restaurants like Laurel, Jezabel’s, River Twice, Friday Saturday Sunday as well as Michael Schulon’s concepts. Give them a piece – or an entire set – of the popular confetti pattern, which also has matching vases, a serving tray and pet bowls.
RainCaper’s Flameless LED Candles
$28.95
Known for its selection of products featuring classic works of art, RainCaper’s LED candles are a subtle way to add a pop of color to any space. Made with real wax, the candles are 6 inches high and feature works from the likes of Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Leonardo DiVinci and Gustav Klimt, among others. RainCaper was created by a mother-daughter duo and is based on the Main Line.
Rosewood Home’s Love Holiday Ornament
$10
A potential stocking stuffer, this ornament is inspired by the popular Robert Indiana statue in Philadelphia’s Love Park. It's one of a few Philly-inspired small batch ornaments made by Rosewood Home, which also has a Philadelphia pretzel, the Liberty Bell and various Phillies-esque ornaments. Based in Montgomery County, Rosewood Home also sells candles and various wood boards.
License Plate Design’s Local Pillows
$75
Founded while a student at Villanova University, Michael Tufankjian’s License Plate Designs creates pillows inspired by license plates from around the country. Order a custom one with the recipient’s name or a place they love or opt for one of the company’s creations like a pillow emblazoned with Villanova, Avalon or Stone Harbor.
Jewelry & Accessories
Forge & Finish’s Morse Code Hoops
$165
Created by a trio of Philadelphia artists, the Morse Code Hoops are a modern take on a classic. Made in sterling silver, the earrings measure about 1.5 inches in diameter and 2 inches in length. Pair it with another item from the Morse Code collection like the E Ring ($195), also pictured on the model.
$239
Based in Montgomery County, NKHenry's Leather Camo Clutch is a best seller for the woman-owned brand. Measuring 14.5 inches by 9.5 inches, it’s just big enough to stash and carry everything you need on the go.
$480
This stylish duffel has enough space to stash essentials for a night or two away. Hand crafted in Malvern, the duffel is made with leather, adorned with brass hardware and measures 17 inches long, 8 inches wide and 9 inches high.
$95
Looking to share the culture of her native Ecuador while also supporting indigenous artisans, Silvia Roldan launched Yaku Wear in 2017. The company works with artisans to create specific designs and import them to Philadelphia, where Yaku Wear is based. She sells handmade toquilla hats – more commonly known as Panama hats – including hand-painted ones like this.
Studio Twenty Nine’s Globe Trotter Necklace
$48
An option for someone with a healthy dose of wanderlust, this 14-karat gold-filled necklace from Studio Twenty Nine features a medallion emblazoned with a map of the world. The South Jersey startup was founded in 2020 by a career marketer looking to create pieces that inspired and support women.
Apparel
$67
Based in Wilmington, this athleisure brand sells leggings, joggers, tops and loungewear meant to transition from the gym to everyday life. The oversized Rugby Pullover is perfect for fall and winter thanks to is medium weight material. Paiya was founded by stroke survivor and fitness enthusiast Aly Mitchell to fill a void she saw in the activewear market.
Sisu Athletics’s Journey Slouchy Tee and Taylor Reversible Dress
$60-$208
Launched just this year, Sisu Athletics’ founder Alisa Rose created a capsule collection of garments that can be mixed and matched and worn for different occasions. Intended to fit real women’s bodies – particularly those who are in between sizes – the Journey Slouchy Tee (pictured on the left) and the Taylor Reversible dress (pictured on the right) are two chic options.
Moon Mountain’s Linen Sleepwear Set
$129
Made from 100% linen, this matching top and bottom set it ideal for sleeping or lounging. It is available in three sizes and two colors. Based in Plymouth Meeting, Moon Mountain was created by a husband-and-wife team focused on sustainable fashion.
Skincare & Haircare
Elizabeth Peyton Creations’ Thai Fusion Clay Mask
$24.50
This clay mask can help soothe burns, reduce dark circles and spots, and help with breakouts. Made with natural ingredients, the Delaware County brand was created by Tanika Casimir as a way to eschew unnecessary chemicals from everyday goods.
SCB Naturals’ Handcrafted Soap
$10
This vegan and sustainable brand offers nearly a dozen handcrafted soaps. Scents include Charcoal and Rose Clay, Oatmeal and Agave, Sea Moss and Spirulina, Hibiscus Rose and Geranium, Aloe and Sage, Lavender and Chamomile, Lemon Poppy, Patchouli and Mint, Coffee, Zen Master, and Monarch. Based in Philadelphia, SCB Naturals is the brainchild of Lakisha Bullock, a licensed cosmetologist who created a line to address her skin concerns such as eczema.
$55-$95
A seemingly do-it-all product, Cerabalm can be used as a cleanser, moisturizer or mask. Danucera founder Danuta Mieloch likens it to “a facial in a jar.” A longtime esthetician, Mieloch is developing a capsule collection of Danucera products. Danucera is formulated in France, made in the U.S. and sold at her Rescue Spa locations in New York and Rittenhouse Square, Bergdorf Goodman and online.
Haiama Beauty’s Cupuaça and Kokum Hair/Body Cream
$29
When Allison Shimamoto set out to launch Haiama Beauty, her goal was to create clean haircare for those with Type 4 hair. Her line, handmade and packed out of the Bok building in Philadelphia, does that. Though geared toward those with Type 4 hair, her Cupuaça and Kokum Hair/Body Cream can be used by individuals with any type of skin or hair and helps save time between stylings. The moisturizing cream contains cupuaça, cocoa and kokum butters, as well as aloe vera, and comes in unscented, lavender, basil and bergamot, and lemon, vetiver and ylang ylang scents.
Looking for even more ideas? Check out our 2022 gift guide, which featured 25 local gift ideas.
