23 BIPOC-Owned Small Businesses to Shop for Sustainable Holiday Gifts
We have opinions on consumerism, and most of them aren’t positive. However, we also like to be pragmatic at Sustainable Baddie, and the reality is that we live in a capitalist economy where what we consume matters. When it comes to the holiday season, the most important time of year to be thinking about consumerism, being thoughtful about how we spend our money is essential. If you have explored our site recently, you may notice a lot of headlines on how to approach this season of shopping with intentionality. One of the ways to consume with purpose is to center small, ethical, and slow brands over fast fashion or mass-produced brands. Shopping small helps to support these businesses in making positive contributions to the sustainability movement. And we all know that environmental justice intersects with equity and decolonization, so prioritizing BIPOC-owned brands is essential. To make the gift hunt easier, we developed a list of just a few of the many BIPOC-owned brands behind our fave sustainable products, so that you can be sure that your purchases this year are susty, creative, unique, and diverse.
Wellness and Self Care
These creators are making amazing skincare products, adaptogens, supplements, and more to help us feel our best all year round. They are prioritizing sustainably-sourced ingredients and low-waste packaging too, so pampering yourself or your friends can be susty too!
1. The Dahlia Club - castile soap and whipped body butters from natural ingredients and no chemicals.
2. Sahajan - Indian American-owned brand that makes skincare products using Ayurvedic traditions and plant-based ingredients.
3. ROMI Apothecary - skincare products made in the bioregion of the Great Lakes using traditional materials and methods.
4. Golde - superfoods, supplements, and skincare made naturally with 100% vegan ingredients.
5. Xula Herbal Formulas - herbal remedies and botanics for period health made from sustainably-sourced hemp.
Clothes & Accessories
These designers are focused on making amazing fashion using upcycled, recycled, and sustainably-sourced materials in creative and innovative ways.
6. Selva Negra - A Latina and Filipina-owned slow fashion brand focused on ethical production, size inclusivity, and quality materials.
7. Back Beat Co. - creates colorful and unique basics using recycled and low-impact fabrics.
8. Find me Now The Label - An Asian American-owned brand based in Long Island designing pieces for the sustainable minimalist and maximalist alike.
9. Hansel Clothing - A black woman-owned brand that makes upcycled designs that are each uniquely hand painted.
10. Anna Learns Things - Seattle-based Korean American designer making fun and colorful accessories, from bags, to jewelry, to even keychains!
Food & Drink
The Holidays are a huge season for hosting. Whether you are the host this year, in charge of the drinks, or just bringing something to share, here are some of our favorite BIPOC owned food and drink brands.
11. Zafa Wines - A black woman-owned wine company making wine through regenerative farming methods.
12. Brightland - Indian American-owned olive oil and vinegar brand based in California focused on creating products using the most local and natural ingredients available.
13. Lunar Hard Seltzer - New York-based AAPI-owned hard seltzer brand that focuses on making unique drinks inspired by Asian flavors.
14. Birch Bark Coffee - Indigenous-owned coffee roastery based in Ontario that makes delicious indigenous-inspired roasts and supports indigenous activist organizations with every sale.
Home & Design
Housewares, design accessories, and other home goods are always great gift ideas for anyone on your list; there are tons of BIPOC designers and entrepreneurs who are exploring sustainability in creative ways with their home products.
15. Luz y Tierra - Mexican American upcycled candle brand making handmade, hand-poured, and hand-decorated candles.
16. Material Kitchen - A Korean and Vietnamese American-owned kitchenware brand that focuses on making long-lasting products with intentional materials.
17. Yowie - This black woman-owned lifestyle shop based in Philly makes their own sustainable products and sells unique designs from tons of other sustainable, BIPOC, woman, and queer-owned brands too.
18. Large Flowers Server Set - These serving tools, designed by Selena Liu, are playful and quirky, and would make the perfect addition to any tablescape this holiday season.
Books
Buying books and art from local bookstores or through audio or e-book platforms are great sustainable gift ideas. There are tons of incredible BIPOC-owned bookstores and independent presses that feature queer and BIPOC-authored works. Here are just a few of our favorites:
19. Tilted Axis Press - This UK-based press is an almost entirely BIPOC-run organization focused on publishing translations of contemporary novels, mostly by emerging Asian authors. Their selection includes a diverse set of queer and woman authors, and they prioritize collaborating with Asian translators.
20. Femme Fire Books is an Asian woman-owned bookstore in Jacksonville, Florida. Femme Fire Books sells both new and used books and they prioritize stocking an extremely diverese selection of books. You can shop them online or in person if you are local to Florida!
21. Black Garnet Books: black woman-owned bookstore in St. Paul that was founded in response to the murder of George Floyd and following protests. Black Garnet Books has a carefully curated selection of entirely BIPOC authored works.
22. Birdcage Bookstore: Birdcage Bookstore in Rapid City, South Dakota specializes in “Native American literature, and Women’s literature”. Their collection of books focuses on Native authors, especially from the northern plain regions. Birdcage has a stacked children's section too, so this bookstore is a great spot to shop for the little ones in your life.
23. Playground Annex: South Asian American-owned bookstore, coffee shop, and activist organization based in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. This shops collection focuses on work from “Black, Indigenous, Brown, Latinx, API, Queer, Trans+ authors and artists”. You can also learn about their mutual-aid work through this interview with the store's owner, Zenat Begum.
With the holiday craze, it is easy to lose sight of how we can use our consumerism to support diverse creators and sustainable products. We hope that this guide gives you a place to start shopping some of our favorite BIPOC-owned brands on the market that take sustainability and eco-activism seriously. However, this list is totally not exhaustive! We believe in uplifting each other as often as we can, so drop some of your favorite BIPOC-owned brands below!