20 BIPOC-Owned Businesses For Finding The Perfect Conscious Gift
By Stella Hertantyo
The festive season is nearly upon us and, for many, this is the season of gifting too. Giving a friend or loved one a thoughtful gift is not only the perfect way to express your appreciation and love, it’s also the perfect opportunity to invest in a BIPOC-owned business.
Investing in BIPOC-owned businesses supports the dreams, joy, and livelihoods of these business owners and everyone involved in their supply chain, and is one simple way of extending your activism offline.
To make your gift-giving process a little bit smoother, we have compiled a selection of BIPOC-owned businesses that create thoughtful, socially conscious, and environmentally friendly products for you to browse through.
This guide contains affiliate links, which means we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase through some of these links. This helps us continue to create these free resources for you! As always, we only feature brands we love (and that we think you'll love too!) and that meet CFC's strict sustainability criteria.
FASHION
Dushyant Asthana
Dushyant Asthana’s distinctive use of bold colors and intricate patterns are the first thing that will strike you about this slow fashion brand. This brand uses artisan-crafted fabrics, which are hand-printed and hand-loomed by artisans in India, to create unique garments that are bound to make a lasting impression and become well-worn wardrobe pieces.
Top Gift Pick: Hand block printed ‘The Sheril’ short sleeve shirt in yellow and black batik print ($140)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Small batch production, ethically sourced fabrics, hand-printed and hand-loomed by artisans in India
Hathorway
As a conscious fashion accessories brand, Hathorway uses reclaimed buffalo horns to create unique accessories that will add a stylish finishing touch to any outfit. Each piece is designed by designer, Jessica Phan, who wanted to reconnect with her Vietnamese heritage by preserving a 400-year-old artisanal technique that uses ethically-sourced buffalo horns – a material that is ordinarily discarded in the food industry in Vietnam.
Top Gift Pick: Tho II Bar & Geo Buffalo Horn Dangle Earrings ($56)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Upcycled, natural materials, chemical-free process, donates a portion of profits
AFF & JAM
AFF & JAM was created by a London-based artistic duo, with roots in Africa and Jamaica (hence, the name). The duo takes you along on their journey of exploration through art, clothing, and identity, by creating unique, wearable art pieces. Each piece is hand-painted with its distinctive style of line drawings onto vintage and recycled garments.
Top Gift Pick: AJ Jumpsuit (£65)
Country: United Kingdom
Conscious Elements: hand-painted, vintage and recycled materials, plastic-free 100% recyclable packaging
Selva Negra
Selva Negra is a Latinx-owned fashion brand that is committed to creating timeless garments that are rooted in ethical production practices, sustainably sourced materials, and brand transparency, with small batch production runs and a low-waste approach. Their pieces embody effortless style with a focus on comfort and versatility.
Top Gift Pick: Marieta top in hemp cotton ($80)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Ethically made, size-inclusive, sustainable materials sourcing, small batch production, upcycled collection, compostable packaging
This Is Us
This Nigerian slow fashion brand aims to educate people about Funtua cotton, which is indigenous to Nigeria and can be sustainably made there. This textile forms the basis of their collections, woven in Funtua, Katsina, and hand-dyed in Kano at the centuries-old Kofar Mata Dye pits. This is Us also tries to minimize waste and promote a circular model by allowing you to send your garments back for re-dying, patching, and return them for recycling and upcycling at the end of their life cycle.
Top Gift Pick: Omizu Lounge Set ($97.99)
Country: Nigeria
Conscious Elements: Local sourcing and production, hand-dyed, re-dye drive, take-back program, preservation of age-old techniques, low-waste practices, reusable packaging
LIFESTYLE
Aya Paper co.
Aya Paper co. is a Black Woman-Owned sustainable stationery brand that creates cards, journals, stationery, and gifts that are ideal for celebrating any occasion and showing your gratitude for your nearest and dearest. They are known for their minimalist illustrations, modern typography, and commitment to being a brand with a low environmental impact.
Top Gift Pick: Manifestation Journal ($24)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Responsibly sourced materials, uses renewable energy, low-waste packaging, 100% recycled materials, non-toxic, chlorine-free paper
GOODEE
GOODEE is a Black-owned marketplace with an offering of homeware and lifestyle products that focuses on brands and products with a positive social or environmental impact. As they say, their focus is on: good design, good people, and good purpose. On the GOODEE site, you can choose to shop from their curated, Black-owned collection, and GOODEE also presents a collection of its own everyday items that embrace slow living.
Top Gift Pick: Peshtemal Towel – Brown & Red ($75)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: B-Corp certified, transparent corporate reporting, actively engages in local community initiatives, portion of proceeds go to disenfranchised groups
LooHoo Dryer Balls
If you have ever worried about giving someone a gift that they won’t use, LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls have got you covered! This Black Woman-owned business creates reusable, eco-friendly, natural, energy-saving alternatives to toxic dryer sheets. These make the perfect gift for any eco-conscious homeowner and laundry-doer.
Top Gift Pick: LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls – Jute Tote Laundry Set ($55)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: natural materials, non-toxic, reusable, energy-saving, made with 100% domestic wool
UNWRP
UNWRP is a Black Woman-owned luxury gift wrap brand that creates sustainable gifting options that will spark joy with their bold prints and vibrant colors. They offer wrapping paper, fabric wraps (can be used as a gift wrap, head wrap, wall art, or accessory), greeting cards, and home goods all designed by talented artists around the globe. Truly a gift that keeps on giving!
Top Gift Pick: Good Times Fabric Wrap ($38)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: 30% post-consumer materials, fully recyclable, carbon-neutral, and FSC-certified, shipping boxes are designed to be repurposed as gift boxes
WELLNESS
Peak + Valley
In the world that we live in – which seems to encourage a constant pace of go-go-go – we all know a friend or family member who could use a little bit more balance in their life. Drawing on ancient healing traditions and scientific research, Peak + Valley was created for just this purpose with an offering of natural adaptogen blends that are formulated to help bring some balance and calm back into your life.
Top Gift Pick: Balance My Stress Blend ($38)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Natural ingredients, all ingredients are either certified organic, ethically sourced or wildcrafted, all products are vegan, transparent sourcing sourcing principles.
AcARRE
AcARRE is a multi-use skincare brand inspired by African and Pacific Islander ancestry. This brand uses natural ingredients that draw on plant biodiversity, to create products that work in harmony with your skin and restore balance. AcARRE uses a unique genetic engineering process that results in easily absorbed, vitamin-rich dry oils that support the scalp and skin’s microbiome. If you are looking for a year-round glow, AcARRE is a great place to start.
Top Gift Pick: Multi-Use Bioactive Dry Beauty Oil (starting at $45)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Multi-use products, carbon-neutral company, small batch production, ethically sourced natural ingredients
TERRA-TORY
TERRA-TORY specializes in skincare products for sensitive and Eczema-prone skin with their gentle formulations of natural, soothing, hypoallergenic soaps made with high-quality ingredients and skin-nourishing superfoods. This wellness and skincare brand is on a mission to create accessible, all-natural products that are suitable for use daily.
Top Gift Pick: Aloe Detox Cube ($15)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Sustainably sourced, all-natural ingredients, zero waste plastic-free packaging, palm-oil free, fragrance-free
Rooted Woman
Rooted Woman is a conscious nail care brand created to revolutionize authentic self-care and celebrate the little moments that we take for ourselves, each day. Rooted in community, this brand has created a range of nail polishes and nail care products that celebrate self-care and prioritize ethical, sustainable, and non-toxic production.
Top Gift Pick: ‘Rest’ Nail Polish ($15)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: vegan-friendly, gluten-free, non-toxic, small-batch production
Tahmina Tea
This one is for the tea lovers out there. Tahmina is a WOC-owned tea brand with a commitment to building ethical markets for conflict-affected communities in Afghanistan while celebrating the joy of a good cup of tea. This brand specifically focuses on the sale of saffron and saffron-infused products, which are luxury items that hail from Afghanistan. Through their ‘Tea for the Brave’ campaign’, Tahmina Tea shares stories of the bravery of Afghan people in the face of adversity, and about the centrality of tea in Afghan communities, and its significance as an act of peace and trust.
Top Gift Pick: Saffron Chai Black Tea Blend ($19)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Ethical sourcing, sustainable packaging, no artificial ingredients, donates 10% of revenue to projects in Afghanistan, all proceeds of ‘Tea for the Brave’ sales are donated to Afghanistan
HOME
August Sage
August Sage focuses on cultivating positive and impactful relationships with artisan communities around the world, preserving the precious skills they have, and creating homeware pieces with unique, intergenerational stories to tell. They aim to create sustainable economic opportunities for artisans while preserving their diverse heritages. Their timeless, minimalist designs make August Sage’s pieces a thoughtful addition to any home.
Top Gift Pick: Anna Paula Bud Vase in Tierra ($68)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Handcrafted by artisan communities, natural and sustainable materials, vegan, natural dyes
Mind the Cork
Mind the Cork highlights the versatility of an underrated, sustainable material – cork – in the creation of a range of different eco-friendly, contemporary homeware items. Cork is a renewable material, that is also recyclable and biodegradable, and that does not require the whole cork oak tree to be cut down. Cork trees promote biodiversity and are great carbon dioxide absorbers. Truly a gift that does good.
Top Gift Pick: Atlas Hanging Planter (£48)
Country: United Kingdom
Conscious Elements: Sustainable materials, small-batch production, low-waste packaging
La Basketry
If you are looking for handwoven homeware, look no further than La Basketry. This brand shares a beautiful offering of bowls, fans, trinket dishes, and picnic baskets, all carefully woven by a group of women artisans in Senegal. And, if you are in the mood to get crafty, they also sell a selection of DIY kits that allow you to weave your very own baskets and dishes.
Top Gift Pick: Anta Storage Bowl – Red, Turquoise and White (£32)
Country: United Kingdom
Conscious Elements: Handwoven by woman artisans in Senegal, made from local, natural materials
Soil to Studio
Inspired by nature and botanicals, Soil to Studio creates home textiles that are thoughtfully designed in Brooklyn and carefully brought to life in India. These delicately patterned textiles will bring warmth and tenderness to any home.
Top Gift Pick: Ira – Handwoven & Block-Printed Linen Pillow ($88)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Handwoven, natural fibers, creating economic opportunity for Indian artisans
The Spice Suite
The Spice Suite is an interactive spice bar that sells unique infused oils, spice blends, and culinary treats. In addition to being a one-stop culinary shop, the Spice Suite aims to elevate entrepreneurs – a self-titled ‘dream incubator’ - by allowing Black-owned businesses to use their space as a pop-up shop, free of charge. They have hosted over 450 free pop-up shops, to date. Online, you can purchase SpiceBags and SpiceBoxes, which are released every month, so you can spice up your gift-giving, all year round.
Top Gift Pick: SpiceBag w/ smoked olive oil ($55)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: The Spice Suite has hosted over 450 free pop-up shops for Black business owners, reusable packaging
Oeste
Oeste is a Latina-owned artisanal candle company that aims to celebrate Latinx culture and design. Each candle is made using a coconut and soy wax blend, the finest essential and fragrance oils, and a clean-burning cotton wick. With sustainability being a key focus of this brand, their candles are housed in a recycled glass vessel that can be repurposed once your candle has finished burning. Oeste’s candles are hand-poured with love and care and are sure to make any house feel like a home.
Top Gift Pick: Golden Candle ($45)
Country: United States
Conscious Elements: Housed in a recycled glass vessel and free from preservatives, phthalates, lead, and paraffin
About the Author:
Stella Hertantyo is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and is currently completing her PGDip in Sustainable Development to accompany her undergraduate in Multimedia journalism. She is a slow-living enthusiast and a lover of low-impact fashion.
She is passionate about encouraging an approach to sustainability that is inclusive, accessible, and fun as we try to figure out how to create a more sustainable and just world, together.
When Stella is not in front of her laptop doing uni work, you'll probably find her reading, writing, illustrating, or baking/cooking. A dip in the ocean, or a walk in the mountains, are the two things that bring her the most peace.
