Our Favorite Black-Owned Brands, From Streetwear Labels to Matcha Makers

As a general life rule, we prefer to give presents that whisper, I know you best, but also, I just know best. We try to shop from eco-friendly brands, we value stuff that's going to last a long time, and we like to buy things that feed our senses, like ethical spice blends, natural perfumes, and essential oil diffusers, because we are sensory folks with a penchant for Cozy Hermit Life. That’s why this [crunches fall leaves] is not only our season for hitting the streets in our best Bob Dylan jackets, but for falling in love with essentials for every season and reason from our favorite Black-owned brands and sites. There are literally entire search engines out there that will find Black-owned products and brands, such as NILE.

February is Black History Month, but it’s never a bad time to be mindful with your money, and we’ve assembled the best Black-owned gift shops and brands online to spice up your life (and the lives of your loved ones). The following items fit in quite snugly with this 10-hour-long YouTube fireplace (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it), so smash that play button and let’s go shopping.

Known for its modular (from small-space-friendly to conversation-pit expansive) Kova sofas, Albany Park is one of our favorite places to find plush couches and overall comfy, timeless furniture online. Bring home its Kova sofa and ottoman combo in a rust-colored, high-performance velvet while the entire site is up to 35% off.

Perhaps you have to cop a gift for the Pisces in your life. If they have a sweet tooth for desserts other than Cosmic Brownies, they’ll sure appreciate a tin filled with finger-lickin’ good mini cookies from the Black-owned baking business Bell’s Reines. Flavors like matcha white chip, lemon, snickerdoodle, or classic chocolate chip will have them lovin’ you.

Still haven’t updated your planner from last year? Be Rooted, a Black-owned stationary brand, offers undated planners so you don’t have to buy a new one every year. You can also find decorative glittery pens and puzzles for cozy nights in.

Still don’t know what to wear to your friend’s wedding next week? Don’t sweat it. Just dig out your blazer, and cop this trippy tee from Billionaire Boys Club, the colorful apparel brand that was founded by Pharrell Williams and Nigo in 2003.

Bookshop is an online bookstore that links you up with local, independent booksellers and bookstores, and it has a curated list of Black-owned bookshops for you to browse everything from books by iconic Black authors such as Bell Hooks to more contemporary titles like Black Futures by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham, which The New York Times called "a literary experience unlike any I've had in recent memory… a blueprint for this moment and the next, for where Black folks have been and where they might be going."

Haircare brand Briogeo is not only Black-owned; it also creates TikTok-viral products such as the Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask and Superfoods Leave-In Spray. The hair mask is an editor fave, with its ability to transform dry hair into a glossy mane in minutes.

Brown Girl Jane (BGJ) is a groundbreaking, plant-based fragrance company and non-profit organization, advocating for policy impacting the well-being of women of color in areas of legislation and health research and helping to fund fellow women of color in their own entrepreneurial beauty ventures. The brand’s Casablanca Eau de Parfum is a sultry blend of amber, musk, sandalwood, and cardamom that pays homage to the magic of its namesake city.

Cee Cee’s Closet is a New York City-based brand making luxury silk-lined, velvet headwraps, African print headwraps, and various hair accessories and apparel. It was founded by sisters Uchenna and Chioma Ngwudo, who continue to collaborate specifically with Nigerian tailors for their designs, which are equal parts practical and ~aesthetic~ with their plush materials.

If you’re looking for professional-level textured and curly haircare products, Design Essentials is a digital emporium of goods, including its bestselling Almond & Avocado haircare line.

Minimalism done right: Fear of God is an independent, American luxury fashion label with a talent for impeccable tailoring. Whether you’re looking for crisp white kicks or a cult leader-worthy hoodie, designer and founder Jerry Lorenzo’s label has you covered.

Listen, Rihanna changed the foundation game when she launched Fenty Beauty, which still offers one of the most inclusive and expansive color ranges for foundation on the market. The brand’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is a bestseller because it goes on smooth and feels lightweight on your skin.

If you love the ritual of making matcha, one of Brooklyn’s best wellness brands, Golde, has created a five-star rated matcha made of 100% pure, shade-grown green tea leaves from Uji, Japan. As one reviewer on the site writes, “I’ve been trying to cut down on my coffee intake, and this has been absolutely perfect. I use it for my afternoon pick up with some lavender syrup and oat milk [and] it’s always a hit, hot or iced.”

Did you know that Good American was co-founded by not just Khloé Kardashian but also a Black entrepreneur named Emma Grede? The size-inclusive fashion brand offers swimwear, fluffy house slippers, and, of course, the brand’s beloved jeans.

Black-owned marketplace Goodee sells plenty of head-turning household goods and other gift-friendly items. Peruse some of the site’s bestsellers, and you’ll find hand-crafted Mexican glassware to level-up your bar cart, and more.

Good Man Brand makes elevated men’s basics that are perfect for winter, including this utilitarian-inspired, soft cotton button-up plaid top that will help you one-up the Brawny Man.

Are you using a butter knife to cut your veggies? Sad. This 8” stainless steel chef knife from Black-owned Middleton Made Knives will actually properly slice and dice with its Japanese-style blade that’s top-quality and designed for chef-grade kitchen work.

OUI The People was founded with the ethos of making beauty and wellness products less cringe and more celebratory of our natural bodies. The packaging is worthy of a 1970s wet dream, the ingredients are delightfully un-scary, and you’ll never find any “anti-aging” or “flawless” language. The brand’s rose gold safety razor deserves its own altar, and its gel-to-milk shaving gel is another bestseller with a 4.3-star average rating on the site. As one stan writes about the gel, “I use less of the product than I do with other shave gels and creams […] it provides an amazing shave and helps prevents nicks and cuts.”

Pure for Men is a male-focused brand that specializes in everything from sexual wellness supplements to face care kits. The brand’s Stay Ready Fiber Supplement has earned a 4.5-star average rating from over 15,600 reviews on Amazon, and as one stan writes, “Let's just say, I've never been more ‘regular’ in my life. What really sets [this supplement] apart is the combination of ingredients; Psyllium husk, aloe vera, chia seeds, and flaxseeds work together to create a proprietary formula that is truly effective.”

Bamboo toilet paper? You heard right. It sounds incredibly fancy, but Reel Paper is extra sustainable and still soft and skin-friendly for any and all purposes.

Revolve currently has an entire page dedicated to Black designers and premium brands like House of Harlow 1960, SOKO, and DANZY.

It’s always a good time to love-bomb yourself with some golden hoops from Ten Wilde Jewelry or to gift a custom, Gothic font date necklace to your hunny bun to commemorate their birth year, the year you met, or the year Dolly Parton was born. The choice is yours.

Slathering our skin, hair, and scalp with the do-it-all Naturally Drenched watermelon seed oil from Thirteen Lune sounds like pure bliss. The online store carries Black- and Brown-owned beauty products that we look forward to spending our tax refund money on.

Uncommon Goods, home to quirky gifts and other interesting stuff that we love perusing while at work, has a curated section of Black-owned brands for your shopping pleasure.

Happy shopping.

Your faithful VICE editors independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.