Black-owned Brands & Retailers

North Carolina

Black Dollar is an excellent resource for finding Black-owned N.C. businesses beyond the sustainable fashion & lifestyle brands listed here.

Clothing

• geekchicfashion (Pittsboro, NC)
  Modern, stylish + comfortable women's clothing

• Glenwood South Tailors (Raleigh, NC)
  Luxury tailoring house, bespoke suits & bridal alterations

• Kome Thrift With Me (Raleigh, NC)
  Lakeisha Mitchell specializes in thrifting unique and bold statement pieces

• Kulture Lifestyle Boutique (Durham, NC)
  Vintage / local wear, sneaker resale, sneaker quests and consignment

• Lache Supply & Co. (Greensboro, NC)
  A print based menswear lifestyle brand

• Melrose Lounge (Raleigh, NC)
  Clothing made in the U.S. and hand-picked just for our customers

• One of One Lab (Raleigh, NC)
  Boutique & consignment shop for local clothing brands, shoes, bags, & accessories

• Pins With Personality (Raleigh, NC)
  Handcrafted lapel pins 

• Rhonda Lynette (Raleigh, NC)
  Chic tall women’s clothing

• Rumors Boutique (Chapel Hill & Durham, NC)
  Handpicked vintage and modern fashion for everyone

Jewelry

• Tiffany Coley Artisan Jewelry (Raleigh, NC)
  Jewelry that juxtaposes the industrial and feminine

• Pareure Fine Jewelry (Durham, NC)
  One-of-a-kind, bespoke, & small batch jewelry

Lifestyle / Beauty / Self-care

• The Black Belt Soap Company (Greensboro, NC)
  Natural skincare products with wholesome ingredients

• Bright Black (Durham, NC)
  Transcendent candles honoring the brilliance of Blackness

• Butters & Bars (Zebulon, NC)
  Natural hair, face, and body products

• Hairizon (Durham, NC)
  Products derived from earth yielded agents, leaving your hair healthy, vibrant, and fragrant

• Krush Kisses (Raleigh, NC)
  Premium Cosmetic Products that are natural, vegan, and cruelty-free

• Liberation Station Bookstore (Durham, NC)
  Carrying a vast selection of books written for, by, or about people of African descent.

• LUXE Fragrance Bar (Greensboro, NC)
  Custom natural skincare, hair & bath care + fragrances

• Naturally Unique (Raleigh, NC)
  Health, beauty, hair, skin, and holistic life products made from 100% natural products

• Queen Nyja Botanicals (Havelock, NC)
  All natural handmade bath and body products

• ROU Soap & Skincare (Cary, NC)
  Soap made by hand in North Carolina using raw ingredients

• Scentsuosity (Wake Forest, NC)
  Skincare boutique for head to toe aromatherapy products. Classes for soap making, lotions, scrubs, butters and yoga

• Shea Butter Baby (Charlotte, NC)
  Handmade skincare products made with high quality, sustainably sourced ingredients

• TresLife (Raleigh, NC)
  Paraben-free beauty bar, all-natural hair care

• Truce Hemp Co. (Raleigh, NC)
  Truce Hemp Company proudly donates a portion of their profits to organizations committed to bringing justice to those affected by the war on cannabis.

• The Zen Succulent (Raleigh & Durham, NC)
  Modern terrarium and plant craft business

United States

Clothing

• The Folklore
  An online concept store based in NYC that offers pieces handmade in Africa 

• GALERIE.LA
  Sustainable fashion from emerging brands worldwide

• Monrowe
  Unisex line of ready-to-wear hats, made in the USA

• Oak and Acorn
  The first sustainable denim brand in Harlem

• Proclaim
  An inclusive nude lingerie line that utilizes ethical materials 

• Ray Darten
  High quality & ethically made African inspired fashion

• Subrina Heyink Vintage
  A stylish Instagram vintage shop with unique timeless pieces

• Hope for Flowers
  Clothing designed by incorporating social and ecological practices into sourcing and operations. 

• Le Petit Organic
  New York based children’s clothing brand made using organic fibers.

Jewelry & Accessories

• Omi Woods 
  Individually and ethically handmade jewelry from fair-trade African gold and globally sourced conflict-free fine metals. 

• Sun and Selene
  Handmade jewelry using recycled metals and natural gemstones. 

Beauty

• Mented
  Vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic and cruelty free cosmetics for all skin tones 

• Hanahana Beauty 
  All-natural skincare + wellness brand sourcing fair trade shea butter from Katariga Women in Tamale, Ghana. 

• BLK + GRN 
  All natural marketplace with a focus on skincare, bath and body products. 

Home / Lifestyle

• Linoto
  Home products made of real linen with a focus on minimizing waste and environmental impact at every step of the process. 

• OUI the People 
  Bodycare brand providing razors to last a lifetime with refillable steel blades. 

International

Clothing

• Kahmune
  A luxury line of nude footwear designed to match the skin tones of all women

• Kai Collective
  London-based womenswear brand of attainable clothing with luxury aesthetics

• Peju Obasa
  Knitwear bags based in London using upcycled and biodegradable materials

• Sammi Maria Jewellery
  Ethically crafted jewellery for those who enjoy laid-back luxe, with a touch of nostalgia

• SIKA
  London-based ‘Made in Africa’ garments supporting the West African community

• SOKO
  Women-led ethical jewelry brand and manufacturing platform based in Kenya

• Sacko
  Swedish clothing brand making plant dyed items using second hand clothing and handmade accessories. 

Jewelry & Accessories 

• A A K S 
  Bright exuberant colored bags ethically handcrafted by women in Ghana. 

Resources

Social Media to Follow

Sustainable Fashion & Textiles

Individuals

• Aditi Mayer

• Aja Barber

• Ashley McIntyre

• Dominique Drakeford

• Leah Thomas

• Mikaela Loach

• Norris Dánta Ford

• Tyler Chanel

Brands & Organizations 

• Black in Fashion Council

• Buy From BIPOC

• Black Makers Matter

• Fashion For All Foundation

• The Kelly Initiative

• Melanin & Sustainable Style

• Raise Fashion

• Social Justice Sewing Academy

Lists & Resources

• The Kelly Initiative
  Forging equitable inroads for Black fashion talent

• HFR Designer Fund: Created during the COVID-19 pandemic to empower BIPOC fashion designers with independent labels by providing them with capital to grow and scale their businesses.

• A Comprehensive List of Black Owned Vintage Shops

• Even More Black Owned Vintage Shops

Arts & Creative 

• Black Oak Society

• Natasha Powell Walker

Educational Media

Online Reading

• Sustainable Fashion Has a Diversity Problem. Here's How I’m Helping to Fix It.: Aditi Mayer on the importance of building an intersectional movement.

• Clothing Is Political: Dominique Drakeford, founder of Melanin & Sustainable Style, discusses how clothing has always been a political expression in this interview with Elizabeth Suzann.

• #ChangeFashion: A Roadmap and Resources for Racial Equity from Black in Fashion Council, IMG, Joan Smalls, and Color of Change.

Books on Fashion / Environment / Sustainability by Black Authors

• The Green Collar Economy by Van Jones
  A New York Times bestseller written by award-winning human rights activist and environmental leader Van Jones explores solutions that support both the environment and the economy. Jones delves into how we can thrive in a “clean-energy economy”.

• Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage by Dianne Glave
  In Rooted in the Earth, environmental historian Dianne D. Glave overturns the stereotype that a meaningful attachment to nature and the outdoors is contrary to the black experience. 

• Liberated Threads: Black Women, Style, and the Politics of Global Soul by Tanisha Ford
  In this thought-provoking book, Tanisha C. Ford explores how and why black women in places as far-flung as New York City, Atlanta, London, and Johannesburg incorporated style and beauty culture into their activism.

• The Rise of the American Conservation Movement: Power, Privilege, and Environmental Protection by Dorceta E. Taylor

  In this sweeping social history Dorceta E. Taylor examines the emergence and rise of the multifaceted U.S. conservation movement from the mid-nineteenth to the early twentieth century. She shows how race, class, and gender influenced every aspect of the movement.

Videos and Podcasts

• Depop + Black in Fashion Council

  Watch the full series for insights on everything from the Black creatives shaping the future of fashion to how to manage your finances as a freelancer.

More Resources

Local Black-led Organizations

• Highlighting 11 Black-Led Community Partners
  Activate Good shares a few black-led community organizations that perform critical work for the Triangle, N.C. community.

• The Black on Black Project
  The Black On Black Project curates exhibitions, events and programs aimed at encouraging dialogue among all members of the community. Founded by Michael S. Williams, the Black On Black Project came about after an exhibition partnership with artist Linda Dallas and VAE Raleigh called "Black On Black."

  • Black on Black Project: Curated Conversations
    Curated Conversations features Black On Black Project founder Michael S. Williams chatting with members of the arts community and beyond about their practice, motivation and other topics. #BOBPCuratedConversations

Black-owned Farms & Food Gardens

Local 

• Abanitu Farm (Roxboro, NC)

• First Fruits Farm (Louisburg, NC)

• Mother’s Finest Urban Farms (Winston Salem, NC)

• Pine Knot Farms (Hillsborough, NC)

• Savage Farms (Durham, NC)

• Perkins Orchard (Durham, NC) 

National

• The Ultimate List of Black Owned Farms & Food Gardens

Personal & Organizational Growth

• Mapping Our Social Change Roles in Times of Crisis
  Deepa Ayer, South Asian American activist & lawyer, reflects on the power of aligning our values with action to create change in times of crisis. She also offers this map and reflection exercise to help individuals and organizations find their roles in the social change ecosystem.

  • Map of Roles in a Social Change Ecosystem (PDF)

  • A Reflection Guide (PDF)

— Bookmark This —

Buying Black, Rebooted

In the newest iteration of the Buy Black movement, The New York Times explains how entrepreneurs are creating marketplaces that pool black-owned brands in one space.