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Boston's Best Up-And-Coming Local Brands

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(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Boston has always been known as a city of entrepreneurs and innovators. With more universities than any other city in the country, and a young, highly educated population, it is no wonder that Boston is home to the coolest, unique new brands. From everyday consumer products, like beverages and soap, to the high-end practical luxury of lingerie and handbags, Boston has a bit of everything. What makes all of these brands special - besides that they are headquartered in Boston - is that they all have sustainability, quality, and health in mind.

Drink Maple
152 Commonwealth Ave.
Suite 13B
Concord, MA 01742
(978) 610-6408
www.drinkmaple.com

Coconut water is so passe. What's the latest trend in healthy hydration? You guessed it: maple water. Drink Maple, a Concord-based startup, is marketing pure maple sap as a new individually packaged beverage. This slightly sweet water only contains half the sugar of coconut water, while providing essential vitamins and minerals like manganese, electrolytes, and amino acids. Unlike coconut water and other tropical beverages, maple doesn't need to be shipped around the world to end up in your fridge.

Organic Bath Co.
www.organicbath.co

Organic Bath Co. is Boston's answer to the increasingly popular eco-beauty movement. The company imports fair trade shea butter and uses other organic ingredients to manufacture high-end body butters, scrubs, face oils, and cleansers right in south Boston. Sold  online or at the South End beauty boutique, Follain, Organic Bath Co. products are very popular with Boston's health conscious and environmentally aware consumer base.

Artemis Design Co.
artemisdesignco.com

Based in Boston's South End, Artemis Design Co. designs and manufactures one of a kind handbags, shoes, and wallets from kilim rugs. The founder, Millicent Armstrong, travels around the globe to places like Turkey and Morocco to pick out the world's most beautiful, but flawed rugs, which would have normally been headed for the landfill, but are saved and made into gorgeous, distinctive pieces. Artemis pieces can be found at Boston Boutique, Flock, and online.

Related: Ask A Boston Expert: Hottest Trends This Spring

Team J+A Whole Food Detox
www.teamjanda.com

Nutritionists and former yoga instructors, Jody and Ashley, have teamed up to revolutionize wellness in Boston through their whole food detox program. Based in WeWork's Melcher St. office, Team J+A offer health coaching, one-day wellness retreats, a 14-day guided detox program, and a 90-day guided detox program. Their mission is to help people "feel something more" in their lives, by eating right, exercising, and finding true happiness and comfort in one's own body. Though there are many rising fitness and wellness brands in Boston, Team J+A truly builds a community around their programs, which make program alumni become passionate advocates for the brand.

Luxxie Boston
luxxieboston.com

Luxxie Boston is the best alternative to shapewear. Designed by a former corporate boardroom regular, Luxxie is a brand of modern slips and lingerie that are functional, comfortable, and perfect for young, working women. Rather than sucking in, or reshaping women, Luxxie enhances and smoothes out a woman's natural figure with a patent-pending silk blend that women won't ever want to take off. Designed with Bostonians in mind, the fabric is both breathable and insulating, which is great for the ever-changing New England weather.

Related: Ask A Boston Bartender: Your Best Martini Recipe

Cameron Bruns is the founder of BostonGreenBlog.com and co-author of Just Us Gals Boston. She lives in Boston's North End, where her goal is to promote ethical, stylish, and sustainable lifestyle choices to all Boston residents. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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