7 POC Owned Brands You Should Know About
With the immense amount of brands making their way towards our interests and consumption, here are seven brands from POC/WOC to check out that will likely resonate with our values and community.
House of Intuition
https://houseofintuitionla.com/
Founded in 2010 by Alex Naranjo and Marlene Vargas, House of Intuition is a metaphysical shop that was developed for the thriving spiritual community. After the economic downfall from 2007-2008, the couple found strength and guidance from a tarot reading, thus House of Intuition emerged. Cited as a place that is “dedicated to helping people achieve healing, transformation, empowerment and personal growth,” House of Intuition is focused on “enlightening, empowering and elevating our community.” With a variety of items, such as crystals, specialty candles, incense, tarot and oracle cards, there is an abundance of tools found throughout their locations to assist in our own personal spiritual journeys. From their Echo Park location which offers readings, House of Intuition has expanded to six other locations including, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Long Beach, North Hollywood, Santa Monica, and it’s newest in Highland Park. If you’re not in the Los Angeles area, no need to worry, you can find the majority of their store items online here.
Peralta Project
Contemporary artist and designer Tony Peralta is establishing a creative movement as the man behind the Peralta Project. Representing his native New York and Dominican roots throughout his works, Peralta has fused his identity and influences with his brand, paying homage to his heritage, creating an array of items such as apparel, home goods, and art prints. From the Bodega Boys to Lin-Manuel Miranda rocking his collection, Peralta Project oozes a distinct East Coast energy that is evident throughout his art.
Addie Rawr
Hailing from Norfolk VA, artist, illustrator, and designer, Adrienne, also known as Addie Rawr, is a “modern artrepreneur focusing on uplifting women of color through her visuals and products.” Addie’s various designs and artworks are appointed onto prints, mugs, coloring books, her notable “Goal Getter” journals, and more. In addition to her illustrative brand, Addie launched Art & Ambition Studios, a directory for Black artists and designers— as well as previously partnering with Refinery29 x Adidas as a project artist for a 2017 campaign, customizing a pair of Ultra Boost X. You can find Addie’s works and shop on her site here.
Future Ancestors
Handmade in Los Angeles by Liza Mesa, Future Ancestors is a collection that encompasses a “blend of modernist and Pre-Hispanic influence, used to create non-traditional inclusive designs.” The pieces are curated especially to adorn ourselves with Mesoamerican x Modernist wears. Mesa’s intention behind her brand can be found in the name itself, the future descendants of our ancestors holding space in the present day, embodying the beauty and history of our cultures. Select pieces are available at Future Ancestor’s site. You can find more information through their Instagram.
Equihua
The coziest blankets of them all, you know which ones. Once the weather drops, the San Marcos cobijas come out-- a winter staple in many Latinx households that fill us with warmth and perhaps nostalgia. It’s hard to leave our beds behind when these blankets have us captive in comfort, but what if you could wear them out for the world to see? Brenda Equihua did just that. The L.A-based designer has transformed the original composition of the San Marcos blankets, launching her label and creating wearable and fashionable styles of the iconic covers. Equihua’s collection includes reversible hats, scrunchies, hoop earrings, skirts, hoodies, and of course the cobija jackets. Equihua has succeeded in creating pieces that hold cultural value, as well as representation of her roots and community. Despite the high price points of certain items, it is well worth the investment. You can snuggle up & make a statement with Equihua’s designs here.
Bloomi
Taking a taboo subject to empower and inform people, Latinx sexologist Rebecca Alvarez Story birthed Bloomi-- an intimate wellness brand and online retailer. After experiencing tragedies in her family due to breast cancer, Alvarez Story began researching ingredients in intimate care products. Eventually her findings showed the various toxic chemicals that many brands used for their products, which led her to “create a community for women that was a trusted source of toxic-free intimate care products that wouldn’t throw off their pH, cause infections or make them sick.” With products on the Bloomi site ranging from organic cotton liners, sex toys, lubricants and books, these items have a purpose to de-stigmatize and normalize safe products for our bodies.
Nyakio Beauty
Pronounced “Neh-Kay-Oh,” this skincare line is a representation of entrepreneur and founder Nyakio Camoche Grieco’s background. First-generation American of Kenyan descent, Camoche Grieco created her brand with the intent to to inform women about the benefits of using clean and green products for their beauty and skin-care regimes, as well as implementing her culture’s knowledge into Nyakio Beauty’s formulas. Nyakio Beauty is cruelty-free, vegan and free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, butylene glycol, and formaldehyde, being that the base of the brand stands in offering the best ingredients for our skin. Her products range from moisturizers, mud masks, exfoliants and cleansers. You can find Nyakio Beauty at Ulta retailers or on their site here.
