holiday gifts

34 Gift Ideas From Black-Owned Businesses

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Retailers

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It’s the time of year when you’re buying presents for your Gen-Z family member, friends, work wife-slash-hubby, and maybe the neighbor you’ve become super-close with since working from home (if that’s still a thing for you). If you’re looking to shop small, locally, and consciously, this is the guide for you. These Black-owned businesses not only have a great selection of gifts, they’re run by entrepreneurs who are creating spaces to foster the next generation of creators.

From cozy winter clothing to matcha kits to experiences that will help you or a friend grow their career, check out these 29 Black-owned businesses to shop and support this upcoming holiday season and beyond.

Fashion and Accessories

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House of Aama

Founded by a mother-daughter duo, House of Aama is a vehicle for storytelling. Los Angeles–based Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka do extensive research into the Black experience in order to create their collections. You’ll find references in their silhouettes, shapes, and patterns.

Gift this relaxed-fit, cotton-blend hoodie made of deadstock fabric anyone will appreciate.

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Local European

The L.A.-based label founded by Alexandra Bunch offers high-quality pieces and some of the best cargo pants you’ll ever wear.

This isn’t your average tank top. Add a little flair to your basics with this contour fitting top.

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Re Ona

This Canada-based brand’s wares are ethically made and produced in small batches to help eliminate waste. Shop minimal but luxurious wardrobe staples in neutral tones for mixing and matching.

Natural cotton with an oversize fit; this is all they’ll want to wear.

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Shop McMullen

Founded by Sherri McMullen, this Oakland-based concept shop offers luxury fashion. Expect to see established and emerging designers like Jacquemus, Christopher John Rogers, Proenza Schouler, Khiry, and more.

Give the gift of gold this season with this pair of dainty but statement-making earrings, featuring a round malachite gemstone that delicately floats on these elongated teardrops sculpted in 18-karat gold vermeil.

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Shop T.A.

The concept store created by Telsha Anderson offers luxury goods sourced from around the world. In-store and online you can shop a curated selection of goods from brands like Ottolinger, Aisling Camps, Theophilio, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and more.

For your fashionista friend who loves a good investment piece (and bold colors), help them make a statement this season with this bright knit dress, sure to be a forever closet staple.

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Fear of God

From sportswear to tailored looks, Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God has become a cultural staple in the industry.

Brighten up their winter wardrobe with this butter-yellow cotton-blend fleece jacket. There’s nothing like a cozy-chic gift!

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Oma the Label

New York–based fashion stylist Neumi Anekhe always looked for quality jewelry pieces that could be staples in her wardrobe, and when she couldn’t find any, she created her own with Oma the Label.

You can never go wrong with a good pair of hoops. Especially when they sparkle. So gift these glittering gold and crystal baubles for an eye-catching moment.

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LaSette

Founded by Shiara Robinson, LaSette is a stylish lingerie line you can layer under daytime clothes or show off for a night out.

From $170
Photo: B)2018 Gabriela de Cos

This set is not only lacy and pretty — it’s comfortable enough to wear under sweats.

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BRoKEG3MS

Looking for a customizable gift? Check out BROKEG3MS. Founded by Jourdan Ferguson, the brand makes colorful necklaces, nameplates, and pendants that playfully reference streetwear iconography like the Nike swoosh and the Air Jordan logo.

Cheerful and sparkly, give this to a friend who always knows what to say to make you smile.

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Elisa Johnson

Elisa Johnson’s eyewear is a collection of timeless classics that has everything from aviator styles to funky printed square styles.

Gift these to the friend who can’t take their shades off. They may not be the infamous Loewes, but they’re just as fun to wear.

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EDAS

Featured in The Cut’s On the Rise series, EDAS, founded by Sade Mims, makes unique jewelry, bags, and art objects.

Give the person who loves a statement ring this swirled number.

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Murdock

Murdock uses crochet techniques to create streetwear-inspired pieces as well as little accessories like scrunchies and handbags.

Get this for the friend who’s always asking you for a hair tie.

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Brother Vellies

Best known for its whimsical shoes that feature everything from ruffles to feathers to cow print, Aurora James’s Brother Vellies line also includes cute accessories that make great gifts.

Gift sustainable and stylish ’90s- inspired, minimalist mules.

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Tejahn Burnett

The namesake brand Téjahn Burnett is a contemporary footwear brand deeply rooted in the founder’s Canadian Jamaican lineage.

Finding sexy heels that are also comfortable is hard. These are both. Gift these to the stylish friend who loves a unique sandal.

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Marrissa Wilson

Breathe life into your wardrobe with Marrisa Wilson’s bright designs. Known for her use of artisan hand-painted prints and textures, Wilson’s clothing celebrates her Caribbean heritage and the joy that surrounds it.

Everyone loves a smock dress, especially when its bold and bright. Gift this effortlessly fabulous dress to the one in your life who likes to make a head-turning statement.

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Nalebe

Founded by Amina Means, the Italian-made shoes are the sparkling accessory you need to make an elegant entrance. As a longtime shoe lover whose relationship with heels was rocked after spraining her ankle, Means used her experience to create the type of shoe that would redefine comfort while making a standout, sustainable statement.

A gift with both iridescence and sparkle sounds like something I’d accept immediately. These intricately embellished mules are another great gift option for the stylish friend who loves a sparkle moment.

Beauty

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Ami Colé

Founded by Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, Ami Colé is a celebration of melanin-rich skin. The clean beauty brand from the beauty marketer turned founder features all the essentials for a fresh-faced look. The Skin-Enhancing Tint comes in a number of rich tones, or opt for the universal highlighter, gloss, or new mascara.

Gift some of the founder’s iconic products with this best-selling Complexion Set, which features the brand’s popular skin tint and concealer, the super-fine loose powder, three fluffy brushes, and the famed lip oil dubbed the Telfar bag of lip gloss.

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AMP Beauty LA

Founded by a group of sorority sisters and HBCU alums, the L.A.-based retailer stocks more than 50 Black-owned brands. It offers everything from body care and wellness to luxury skin care, and lashes.

For the candle-obsessed friend in your life, give the gift of tranquility and natural scents with this pomegranate-and-ginger-soy blend candle with a burn time of 70 hours.

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Klur

Founded by former makeup artist and aesthetician Lesley Thornton, Klur offers nontoxic, natural skin care in sustainable packaging.

Gift this non-stripping, gently resurfacing cleanser to the skin-care obsessive who probably already has this on their list.

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Topicals

Founded by Olamide Olowe in 2018, Topicals has been a game-changing skin-care brand for all types of skin. So much so, it is currently one of the fastest-growing skin-care brands in Sephora.

This serum is great for anyone with hyperpigmentation.

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Hanahana Beauty

Hanahana Beauty is a clean skin-care and wellness brand founded by Abena Boamah-Acheampong. It’s drawn from her childhood and her family, who used shea butter to heal common ailments. She sources the ingredient from the Katariga Women’s Shea Cooperative in Ghana. It serves as the base for most of her products, but she features other natural ingredients in her scrubs and balms as well.

This customer favorite is a rich blend of shea, cocoa, and mango butters.

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Dermasaa

Dermasaa is a New York City–based holistic skin-care service founded by Samantha Mims, a licensed skin therapist. Her treatments are geared toward boosting cell regeneration, leaving your face looking refreshed and glowing.

If you’re looking for a quick yet effective facial, this 30-minute service offers a deep cleansing, followed by a micro-current treatment and application of hydrating products. Gift this to your NYC-based friend who needs a treat or get one for yourself.

241 Cosmetics

Founded by twin-sister duo Feven and Helena, the beauty lovers created 241 Cosmetics with the goal of enhancing women’s natural beauty with products that help inspire confidence and integrity. The brand, which is known for its best-selling lip products, is also Oprah Winfrey approved.

If you’re gifting a product that’s beloved by Winfrey, then you know it’s going to be good. Created exclusively for Oprah’s 2022 Favorite Things list, this collection features six of 241’s top-selling glosses.

Lifestyle

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Grind Like a Doll

This Texas althleisure brand is committed to community and inclusivity with its colorful sets. Its selection of bold-hued leggings, sports bras, and jackets are both functional and stylish.

These leggings aren’t only comfortable, but they’re flattering and the color screams main-character energy for the gym.

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Glosshood

Glosshood, founded by Sienna Brown, is a lifestyle brand that’ll satisfy your early-’00s nostalgia. Right now it sells only one product, a lip gloss, but the brand also shares free curated playlists on Apple Music and Spotify to set an overall vibe while you moisturize your lips.

This organic gloss is ideal for winter-chapped lips, leaving them looking dewy and plump.

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Yo Soy Afro Latina

Yo Soy Afro Latina’s mission is to empower Black women within the Latinx community. The lifestyle brand celebrates the beauty, experiences, and culture of the Afro Latinx community.

A coffee mug that reminds you “I have flavor” each and every morning.

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Golde

Golde was born in Brooklyn in 2017 in the one-bedroom apartment of Trinity Mouzon Wofford, who is the co-founder and CEO. The brand is on a mission to make wellness easy, accessible, and fun for everyone.

All the essentials you need for the perfect at-home matcha experience with a USB-recharger frother. All you have to do is add the milk of your choice!

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MindfulFee

MindfulFee is a lifestyle brand encouraging women to love and heal themselves.

An affordable and cute gift for somebody’s mama.

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Stript

Jumpsuits are more than just loungewear for this D.C.-based brand, they are the essence of any outfit. Stript’s one-pieces come in bubble-gum pink, black, baby blue, and more.

This jumpsuit is where comfy meets style.

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Plant Economy

Based in Detroit, Plant Economy is a community for Black botanists and gardening enthusiasts. When you buy its bags or pots, they come with tags that feature seeds embedded in the paper so you can grow your own plants.

Give this to the plant person in your life — just note that they don’t come with the succulents shown.

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Linoto

Founded by Jason Evege, Linoto is an affordable line of linen home goods, including boxers, sheets, towels, and more.

Upgrade his underwear drawer with these soft boxers.

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The Harlem Candle Company

Candles always make great gifts, especially during the holiday season. The Harlem Candle Company specializes in luxury candles that embody the rich culture of Harlem. And in celebration of influential Black figures in history, you can purchase candles named after icons like Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, and Langston Hughs.

Another gift option is the luxe Josephine candle, named after the illustrious Josephine Baker, that features notes of lush Moroccan rose and Indian jasmine along with liquid amber and sandalwood. It’s also available in one- and two-wick versions.

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Brown Girl Jane

Founded by three dynamic Black women, Brown Girl Jane marries the worlds of beauty and well-being, creating unique fragrances that not only smell good but help improve your mood. The science-backed scent collections are designed to take you on a sensory journey that also motivates and inspires. What more could you ask for in your perfume?

For the wellness-focused, wanderlust friend who loves a good journey, give them the gift of a destination through these uplifting, soothing scents.

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Actively Black

Live life in color with workout sets and activewear from Actively Black. Founded by former NBA star Lanny Smith, Actively Black’s mission is to improve the mental wellness within Black community through the encouragement of physical fitness, while reinvesting back into the community through Black talent, culture, and consumerism.

Everyone can use a high-quality, high-performance, full-coverage bra. A great gift for those who love a good sweat session, or just for that person in your life who’s into cute (and sometimes sexy) athleisure.

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34 Gift Ideas From Black-Owned Businesses