Latinx Sustainable Fashion Brands & Leaders to Support During Latinx Heritage Month and Beyond
by Elle Magaña Mireles
National Latinx Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, honors and celebrates the culture, history and work that has been done by Hispanic and Latino Americans. It began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week and was expanded in 1988 to 30 days. Sep 15th is the start date and also Latin American countries’ Independence Day anniversary.
The use of Latinx Heritage Month versus Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates all identities, whether it be gender non-conforming, non-binary and gender-expansive individuals. It also centers non-Spanish speaking individuals and allows for more inclusivity in geography.
Take the time to learn and support from Latinx sustainable fashion leaders and businesses during this time. This allows their work to be honored and respected because they have paved the way for sustainability in the fashion industry.
Latinx cultures are known to be rooted in sustainable practices that make individuals natural caretakers of earth. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with these cultures would also help you adopt sustainable, low-budget and zero waste habits in your everyday life.
Latinx Sustainable Fashion Leaders
The following Latinx sustainable fashion leaders are part of the fight to get SB62 passed in the California legislature. This bill would end garment worker exploitation in Los Angeles by eliminating the piece rate system, establishing multilateral accountability and strengthening the Labor Commissioner's investigation bureau’s authority.
Senator Maria Elena Durazo
Senator Durazo was raised by Mexican migrant farm laborers. She was involved in the Chicano Movement during college and was a union organizer during law school for the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees.
In 2008, she was the Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and National Co-Chair for the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. From 2006 to 2014, she served as the first woman Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. She is also one of the leading co-authors of SB62 that aims in protecting exploited garment workers in Los Angeles.
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez is also a co-author of SB62. She was raised by a single mother, and her father immigrated from Mexico to California to pick strawberries.
She made California the first state in the nation to demand farmworker overtime pay and to subsidize diapers for low-income, working parents. She passed the strongest law in the country against wage theft and misclassification, and in 2018, she co-authored Senate Bill 100.
She is also the first Latina in California to serve as Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the first person of color and woman to become CEO and Secretary-Treasurer for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and is currently spearheading the “Unseen Latinas” initiative.
Marissa Nuncio
Marissa Nuncio is a Chicana that joined the Garment Worker Center in February 2013. She grew up in Magnolia Park, the oldest Mexican community in Houston, Texas.
She studied in Mexico for three years and joined Sweatshop Watch, a co-founding organization of the Garment Worker Center. She is the current Director of Garment Worker Center and helps frame the strategic organizing direction for its garment worker members and staff.
GWC has been a strong sponsor of Senate Bill 62 to improve working conditions in Los Angeles and to ensure the protection of garment workers.
Latinx-Owned Sustainable Fashion Brands
Support Latinx Heritage Month by celebrating the work of Latinx sustainable fashion leaders and brands. This can not only help amplify and uplift voices that are not typically heard or seen in the industry but also allow small sustainable fashion businesses to thrive in the midst of fast fashion corporations.
All for Ramon
Investment: $15-$190
Size Range: S- 3XL
All for Ramon is a sustainable fashion brand based in Los Angeles created by two Latina sisters, Rocio Chavez and Diana Ibarria.
They are daughters of immigrants that are committed to ethical manufacturing, eco-minded craftsmanship, employee wellness and the conservation of natural resources. AFR aims to break down barriers in the fashion industry. The brand also donates a portion of their sales to the Calvin Preston foundation and plants a tree for every sold product in collaboration with One Tree Planted.
Selva Negra
Investment: $12- $340
Size Range: XS-4XL
Founded by Kristen Gonzalez, Selva Negra is a Mexican + Filipino American-owned contemporary fashion brand committed to ethical and transparent production practices. Products are made from conscious materials and with ethical and sustainable practices in Los Angeles.
This label reduces its waste by using compostable packaging, reusable and recycled boxes, and sourcing deadstock fabrics. Any leftover scrap fabrics are also used to produce upcycled collections.
Woven Futures
Investment: $12- $150
Size Range: n/a
Woven Futures is a Latina-owned brand founded by a Guatemalan-American passionate about connecting Latinx individuals back to their roots and celebrating culture through products.
Woven Futures focuses on Guatemalan sustainable development by working with cultural preservation, artisans, and fair trade practices. Every collection is inspired by the planet where sustainable products are made from high-quality organic materials without compromising style in the process.
Wasi Clothing
Investment: $2- $150
Size Range: S-3XL
Wasi Clothing is a WOC-owned, Bolivian-American slow fashion brand crafting clothing from vintage and deadstock fabric.
Products are made in limited quantities to avoid overproduction and any scraps of leftover fabric are made into upcycled pieces. Products are shipped in recyclable and compostable shipping packages to reduce plastic waste. All workers employed in Wasi Clothing are paid a fair and equal wage.
Naja
Investment: $10-$68
Size Range: XS-XXL & 32A- 38DDD
Naja is an eco-friendly, socially responsible brand that provides cruelty- free and vegan underwear. Products are made with recycled materials and water saving techniques like digital printing.
The brand was founded by Colombian-American Catalina Girald and Puerto Rican Gina Rodriguez to empower women. Products are made by single mothers that are paid above market wages and provided healthcare benefits with flexible work policies to balance work and childcare. Their children are provided school supplies, books, uniforms and every school meal is paid by Naja. This brand’s Underwear for Hope program also helps Colombian women living in slums find work by employing them to make the lingerie bags that are offered with each Naja purchase.
Cuyana
Investment: $10- $850
Size Range: XS-XL
Cuyana is a clothing and accessory company that makes timeless collections from premium materials and fine craftsmanship for the modern women. Fewer, better things is the philosophy behind everything Cuyana does.
Co-Founder and CEO of Cuyana, Karla Gallardo, grew up in Ecuador and envisioned Cuyana as a global design house that inspires intentional buying through pieces made with integrity. Pieces are made with high-quality materials by craftsmen located across the globe. Current sustainability approaches include producing responsibly through attention to detail in fabrics and silhouettes to maximize wear per piece and the lifespan of clothing.
Wray
Investment: $12- $365
Size Range: XXS-6XL, 0-26
Wray is Latinx-owned, size inclusive and fine art-inspired clothing line based in New York.
Collections are designed and developed in New York City and ethically created under fair trade operations in Peru, Hong Kong and India. Pieces are made from recycled materials and inspired by fine arts with the intention that they last a long time.
About the Author:
Elle Magaña Mireles is a Latine sustainable fashion advocate based in Chicago, IL.
She believes clothing can be a gateway to a more just and humane world. In her free time, she writes for her ethical fashion blog called Sustainable Amor, spends quality time in nature, and organizes her local community.
