Our Favorite Black-Owned Brands, From Streetwear Labels to Matcha Makers
October 13, 2023As a general life rule, we prefer to give presents that whisper, I know you best, but also, I just know best. We try to shop from eco-friendly brands, we value stuff that's going to last a long time, and we like to buy things that feed our senses, like ethical spice blends, natural perfumes, and essential oil diffusers, because we are sensory folks with a penchant for Cozy Hermit Life. That’s why this [crunches fall leaves] is not only our season for hitting the streets in our best Bob Dylan jackets, but for falling in love with essentials for every season and reason from our favorite Black-owned brands and sites.
There are literally entire search engines out there that will find Black-owned products and brands, such as NILE, and digital craft marketplaces including Etsy make a point of highlighting Black creators. We also have a dank short-list of Black-owned brands in, how shall we say, green industries that we love, and a bunch of other rad wellness, home, and apparel brands for every aesthetic under the sun.
We’ve assembled the following Black-owned businesses and brands to spice up your life (and the lives of your loved ones) with beautiful bikes, beauty products, loungewear, kombucha, and more. The following items fit in quite snugly with this cider-sipping, 10-hour-long YouTube fireplace (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it), so smash that play button and let’s go shopping.
Albany Park
Beloved for its conversation pit Kova sofas, Albany Park is one of our favorite places to find plush couches and overall comfy, timeless furniture online. Bring home its Kova sofa and ottoman combo in a rust-colored, high-performance velvet while it’s nearly $200 off.
All Caps Studio
All Caps Studio is an experimental, collaborative streetwear brand that was started by the Philadelphia-based artist Saeed Ferguson in 2017. Since then, the brand has perfected the art of bringing a graphic, post-internet aesthetic into its various tote bags, hoodies, necklaces, and more.
Anima Iris
Cool. Verrrrrry cool. Anima Iris’ graphic purses have been worn by Beyoncé and have big Main Character energy. The striking handbags rolled right out of the 1980s, and deserve to sit shotgun in a creamy Cadillac Eldorado driving up the PCH.
Arch
In our never-ending quest to look like a hot Muppet, the New York City footwear brand Arch has become our go-to for fluffy, horny shoes with a bit of 1970s nostalgia. Cop them while they’re $60 off.
Billionaire Boys Club
Still don’t know what to wear to your friend’s wedding next week? Don’t sweat it. Just dig out your blazer, and cop this trippy button-up shirt from Billionaire Boys Club, the colorful apparel brand that was founded by Pharrell Williams and Nigo in 2003.
Black Owned Everything
Black Owned Everything is an expansive marketplace for everything its name promises, from home goods and decor to apparel and wellness items—and all from either itso wn signature line, or other Black-owned brands that sell out fast. The selection of goodies is ever-evolving, and you never know what you’re going to find. The brand’s signature cotton sweats are almost always in stock, and super cozy:
Its signature candle comes in a handsome matte vessel that’s also perfect for fall and winter, because it has a woodsy aroma profile with notes of nutmeg and cloves.
Shop Black-Owned Bookstores on Bookshop
Bookshop is an online bookstore that links you up with local, indipendent book sellers and bookstores, and it has a curated list of Black-owned bookshops for you browse everything from books by iconic Black authors such as Bell Hooks, to more contemporary titles like Black Futures by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham, which The New York Times called "A literary experience unlike any I've had in recent memory… a blueprint for this moment and the next, for where Black folks have been and where they might be going."
Brown Girl Jane
Brown Girl Jane (BGJ) is a groundbreaking, plant-based fragrance company and non-profit organization, because it advocates for policy impacting the well-being of women of color in areas of legislation, health research, and helps fund fellow women of color in their own entreperneurial beauty ventures. The brand’s Casablanca Eau de Parfum is a sultry blend of amber, musk, sandalwood, and cardamom that pays homage to the magic of its namesake city.
Cee Cee’s Closet
Cee Cee’s Closet is a New York City brand making luxury silk-lined, velvet headwraps, African print headwraps, and various hair accessories and apparel. It was founded by sisters Uchenna and Chioma Ngwudo, who continue to collaborate specifically with Nigerian tailors for their designs, which are equal parts practical and aesthetic with their plush materials.
Design Essentials
If you’re looking for professional-level textured and curly haircare products, Design Essentials is a digital emporium of goods, and right now it’s offering almost $10 off of its bestselling Almond & Avocado Moisture Pack.
Etsy’s Black-Owned Shops
Ah, Etsy. The well that never runs dry when it comes to shopping for antiques, repurposed vintage apparel, custom art, and so much more [points to Shrek butt plug]. The marketplace has an entire page dedicated to navigating its Black-owned boutiques, and some of our favorites include the Urbann Burn candle shop and its (very on-trend) mushroom candle lamp:
Etsy also has an incredible selection of blankets and wall art from the legendary women quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. “Now—for the first time,” says Etsy, “their gorgeous tapestries are available for online purchase in partnership with Nest (a nonprofit focused on equity in the Makers Movement) and Souls Grown Deep (a foundation focused on elevating Black artists).”
Equitea
Quentin Vennie founded Equitea with the hopes of creating an herbal wellness resource for all, but “especially Black men and all underserved communities.” Vennie’s blends are lovingly curated for various needs, and his lavender green tea is a delicious way to get a little boost of energy.
Fear of God
Minimalism done right. Fear of God is an independent, American luxury fashion label with a talent for impeccable tailoring. Whether you’re looking for crisp white kicks or a cult leader-worthy wool sweater, designer and founder Jerry Lorenzo’s label has you covered.
Fenty Beauty
Listen, Rihanna changed the foundation game when she launched Fenty Beauty, which still offers one of the most inclusive, and expansive color ranges for foundation on the market. The brand’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is a bestseller because it goes on smooth and feels lightweight on your skin.
Golde
If you love the ritual of making matcha, one of Brooklyn’s best wellness brands, Golde, has created a five-star average rated matcha made of 100% pure, shade-grown green tea leaves from Uji, Japan. As one reviewer on the site writes, “I’ve been trying to cut down on my coffee intake, and this has been absolutely perfect. I use it for my afternoon pick up with some lavender syrup and oat milk [and] it’s always a hit, hot or iced.”
It has also made a creamy cacao powder that’s blended with reishi and turkey tail mushrooms, which are said to be immune system boosters. Buy one for yourself, and one for the Deadhead in your life.
Good American
Did you know that Good American was co-founded by Khloé Kardashian and a Black entrepreneur named Emma Grede? The size-inclusive fashion brand offers swimwear, fluffy house slippers, and, of course, the brand’s beloved jeans.
Goodee
Black-owned marketplace Goodee sells plenty of head-turner items, such as this intricate wicker bicycle basket. It deserves to take our favorite nephew down the Nile, or at least hold all of our farmers’ market bounty.
Peruse some of the site’s bestsellers, and you’ll find a graphic merino and mohair wool pillowcase, hand-crafted Mexican glassware to level-up your bar cart, and more.
Good Man Brand
Good Man Brand makes elevated men’s basics that are perfect for fall, including this utilitarian-inspired, soft cotton button-up plaid top that will help you one-up the Brawny Man, and a pair of mossy suede kicks that are perfect for the pumpkin patch and the bodega alike.
Homebody CBD
It’s so important to support Black-owned cannabis brands, and Homebody is one such brand with extra wavy offerings, such as this this pearly CBD bath soak with hypnotic packaging. It’s made in the USA out of non-toxic biodegradable glitter, and it’s both vegan and cruelty-free.
On the Go Jo
They’ve tried the Aeropress, the French press, and the best coffee subscription boxes. Hell, they’ve even tried that viral coffee alternative that kind of tastes like delicious mud, MUD\WTR. What your giftee hasn’t tried is a full-bodied, bright roast by On the Go Jo, a coffee and tea company whose goods are all produced and roasted by Black women.
OUI The People
OUI The People was founded within the ethos of making beauty and wellness products less cringe, and far more celebratory of our natural bodies. The packaging is worthy of a 1970s wet dream, the ingredients are delightfully un-scary, and you’ll never find any “anti-aging” or “flawless” language. The brand’s rose gold safety razor deserves its own altar, and its gel-to-milk shaving gel is another bestseller with a 4.6-star averafe rating on the site. As one stan writes about the gel, “I use less of the product than I do with other shaves gels and creams […] it provides an amazing shave and I helps prevents nicks and cuts.”
Pure for Men
Pure for Men is a male-focused brand that specializes in everything from sexual wellness supplements to face care kits. The brand’s Stay Ready Fiber Supplement has earned a 4.5-star average rating from over 15,300 reviews on Amazon, and as one stan writes, “Let's just say, I've never been more ‘regular’ in my life. What really sets [this supplement] apart is the combination of ingredients; Psyllium husk, aloe vera, chia seeds, and flaxseeds work together to create a proprietary formula that is truly effective.”
Savage x Fenty
We flock to Savage x Fenty year-round for supportive bras, embroidered bustiers, lace panties, and epic themed collections. Rihanna’s intimates and loungewear brand has, yet again, turned out a Halloween edit for bad ghouls only. Find us at the H-Ween party in these metal cat ears and thigh-high stockings.
Ten Wilde Jewelry
It’s always a good time to love bomb yourself with some golden hoops from Ten Wilde Jewelry, or to gift a custom, Gothic font date necklace to your hunny bun to commemorate their birth year, the year you both met, or the year Dolly Parton was born. The choice is yours.
Uncommon Goods’ Black-Owned Brands
Uncommon Goods (which is a caterer of unordinary stuff that constantly distracts us at work) has tons of great stuff in its curated section of Black-owned brands for your pleasure. Now that it’s fall, we’re prepping for Upstate foliage gazing jaunts with multi-purpose travel backpacks such as this one by LaQuita Taylor-Phillips. It’s handmade in Maryland, and contains five large and two medium pockets for holding everything you could ever need. (So, bug repellent, White Claw, and The Da Vinci Code).
Whether you’re a tea drinker or an incense burner, Whitney Simpkins’ handy clay trinket dishes will make for a chic addition to any coffee table or kitchen counter.
Happy shopping.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.