Being thoughtful about where your money is being sent takes a little extra time, but can go a long way. When buying from brands—especially smaller ones—that are owned by people of color, you are addressing a reality and supporting (even if it feels minute) the decrease of the racial wealth gap, while bolstering local economies, and celebrating culture and community. It’s an act of optimism and enthusiasm. The gifts in this guide (which includes covetable home goods, apparel, skincare products, art, books and more) are from Black and Indigenous individuals and people of color—whether they are the company owners, the designers, artists or makers.
Made by the staff of POT—a ceramics studio in LA that prioritizes people of color, adult beginners and the LGBTQ+ community—this pink pour-over set is full of levity, featuring a speckled design and a wacky frowny face with eyes made of stars. 100% of the proceeds from purchases of this set go to OYA Studio-Museum in Philadelphia to help Black ceramicists make and acquire art.
NorBlack NorWhite is Mriga Kapadiya and Amrit Kumar’s clothing brand that merges contemporary fashion with traditional Indian craftsmanship. For their Cozy Quilted Jacket, the duo spent three years at various markets sourcing fabric for kambal, a blanket that is often worn like a shawl in India. They then transformed the material into a classic liner silhouette reimagined with vibrant, lush patterns, including this forest green …
Comprising five tester-sized (1ml) perfume oils, the Testpack from UNIFROM is a practical way to explore the fragrance house’s divine scents before committing to one. Inspired by multicultural high-rise urban living and founded by Haisam Mohammed, UNIFROM conceptualizes perfumes in Stockholm, develops them in Paris and manufactures them in Grasse. The five-pack includes Dawn, Bliss, Limbo, Cassis and Maghrib—which span scents from smoky and woody …
The Bauhaus Around You Card Deck is a creative exercise that uses the designs and ideas from the design movement to challenge users to find similar elements in real life. Illustrated by Klasja Habjan and published by Form Function Studio (a creative practice led by Alison Beshai to champion accessibility in design), the 36-card deck features different color-coded prompts in either the Think, Explore or …
Founded by first-generation Indian American Michelle Ranavat, RANAVAT is inspired by self-care and devotion to rituals in India. The brand’s new Regenerative Veda⁴ Bond Complex Shampoo is a sulphate-free, bond-strengthening formula designed to increase hair’s resistance to breakage while softening it to the touch. RANAVAT also donates 1% of the proceeds to Desai Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on women and children.
Family-owned brand GINEW, founded by Amanda Bruegl (of the Oneida, Stockbridge-Munsee people) and Erik Brodt (of the Ojibwe people), is a Portland, Oregon-based denim brand that promises Native Americana style. Their Heritage Coat features 32-ounce wool blanket fabric lining designed by Dyani White Hawk (of the Sičáŋǧu Lakota). The pattern, called Facing East, “acknowledges ways that Lakota, and other Indigenous people, honor and express gratitude …
Acclaimed poet Franny Choi’s first new offering since Soft Science, The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On is a meditation on historical, present-day and impending apocalypses, which notes how dystopia has already been the reality for marginalized people. Lyrical and personal yet universally resonant, this insightful and elegant poetry collection trudges through catastrophe to imagine collective survival.
From Five Metal Shop, a creative studio based in both Taiwan and Hong Kong, this little 2023 calendar elevates the traditional with bold and bright designs. Printed on superfine 30gsm paper and featuring 100% manual binding, it measures 7.24 by 4.84 inches, making it an ideal desk accessory.
Using the joys and pains of the creative process as a vehicle for lessons on grief, Many Shapes of Clay: A Story of Healing is a touching, cathartic children’s book from Kenesha Sneed, an artist and the founder of LA-based ceramics brand Tactile Matter. With an endearing, young protagonist named Eisha, brought to life through Sneed’s bold colors and gestural textures, the book beautifully and …
Informed by the Indian tradition of hair oiling, the HoliRoots Hair Oil from Akash and Nikita Mehta’s beauty brand Fable & Mane is an award-winning root treatment for stronger, healthier hair. Within the vegan formula, ashwagandha helps to thicken hair while dashmool promotes scalp health to encourage growth. As a part of the Every Body campaign, 100% of the proceeds from “The Every Body” version …
Siblings Christina and Anthony Teav founded Mama Teav’s as a love letter to their mother (who fled war and genocide in Cambodia during the 1970s) and her beloved hot garlic sauce. Fiery and crisp, the sauce mixes local, organic California garlic fried in cold-pressed grapeseed oil with sun-dried, flame-roasted Cambodian chilis. The resulting recipe is an all-natural, vegan and gluten-free way to spice up a …
These bok choy-shaped, hand-blown glass pendants can be worn as whimsical earrings or as a necklace—when put on a chain. From the Y2K-inspired brand Notte Jewelry, the charming pieces are approximately one inch long and affixed to small hoops. 50% of the proceeds from sales will go to Heart of Dinner, a non-profit fighting food insecurity for East Asian elders.
