Gifted: Want to shop unique gifts from Black-owned businesses?
Support our black community and shop unique gifts, handcrafted homeware and organic beauty products from these incredible black-owned businesses.
Considered a marker of wealth amongst the Fula people of Mali, this pair of beautifully crafted Fulani earrings are available from Yard + Parish.
As people continue to rise up against racial injustice across the world, there are lots of ways we can take action in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black community. We can lobby MPs, protest, educate ourselves and donate to organisations that fight systemic racism. But there’s something else we can all do that will have real and far-reaching effects: shop. While buying a gift may seem a trivial act in this moment, redirecting your economic resources is actually a simple, and critical, way of effecting long-term change.
As consumers, one of the most direct and sustainable ways to support the Black community is to shop at Black-owned businesses. We have the power to better distribute wealth. We have the power to decide which businesses will thrive and we must use that power.
Here, we’ve created a directory of Black-owned businesses that sell stunning gifts, from hand-bottled perfume to gender-neutral baby clothes, and home accessories to jewellery. The recommendations are pulled from a variety of sources – some we’ve sourced gifts from in the past, some were recommended by our clients, and others we’ve discovered over the past week, as we’ve done some more in-depth research into Black-owned makers, designers and brands.
We appreciate that this list is far from complete, but we will continue to add more businesses going forward and welcome suggestions from our readers.
Maya Njie Perfume
Founded in 2016, this niche perfume brand specialises in unisex scents which are blended and bottled in the founder’s London Studio. An unbridled celebration of Swedish and West African culture, each fragrance was created to capture a precious moment in time.
Onome Otite
London-based artist Onome Otite celebrates textiles and West African culture with her distinctive figurative collages. Her online boutique features a selection of original one-off collages as well as limited edition prints. Onome also takes commissions for those looking for something completely bespoke.
Prick
Based in Dalston, Prick is London's first boutique dedicated to cacti and other succulents. The brainchild of award-winning photographer, Gynelle Leon, it retails a stunning assortment of rare and exotic plants, sourced from the UK and Europe.
Grain & Knot
Founded by woodworker Sophie Sellu, Grain & Knot features a unique and functional collection of wooden vases, spoons and brushes crafted from reclaimed sycamore, maple and spalted hornbeam. Highly covetable, her collections sell out exceptionally fast. Note: the next shop update is due mid-June.
Black Girl Knit Club
The London-based Black Girl Knit Club is dedicated to empowering Black women through arts and crafts – an industry which severely lacks diversity. Launched by friends Sicgmone Kludje and Vea Koranteng, it sells colourful wax print yarn, tutorials via e-books and cool, minimalist prints.
Yard + Parish
Alesha Bailey and Samantha Newell are the power duo behind multi-brand retail store Yard + Parish. Dedicated to showcasing emerging brands from the African diaspora, the online store features everything from skincare and jewellery, to handbags, sunglasses and scarves hand-crafted by independent designers and makers.
Naked Clay Ceramics
From her studio in Bedfordshire, ceramicist Carla Sealey crafts a much-coveted selection of sleek and minimal tableware and homeware pieces. Her sweet, miniature vases are particularly special.
New Beacon Books
Founded in 1966 by John La Rose and Sarah White, New Beacon Books was the UK’s first black publisher and specialist bookshop. Today, it sells poetry, literature, non-fiction, history and children’s books from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, North America, Europe, South America and Britain.
Sacko
Online boutique Sacko features a selection of hand-dyed, one-of-a-kind baby clothes and accessories. Founded by mother-of-two, Nana Sacko, it’s characterised by earthy tones and minimal, gender neutral designs.
This self-care hamper is available from online boutique Yard + Parish.
Our Lovely Goods
Founded by Ebi and Emmanuel Sinteh, this family-run business is dedicated to products that are good for you and the environment. They offer a selection of natural wax candles and botanical skincare products, as well as woven baskets and sweet baby rattles hand-crafted in Nigeria.
Pat McGrath Labs
One of the fashion world’s most influential make-up artists, Pat McGrath launched her eponymous line of make up in 2015 with a game-changing selection of palettes and legendary lipsticks.
La Basketry
Supporting the traditional Senegalese art of basket weaving, online boutique La Basketry features colourful fans, baskets, bowls and baby changing baskets handwoven by female artisans.
LIHA Beauty
Sustainable skincare brand, LIHA, produce innovative, organic and vegan skincare products and candles, which seamlessly blend the rich botanicals of West Africa with traditional English aromatherapy.
Wild Suga
Founded by the incredibly talented visual artist, Sarina Mantle, Wild Suga sells a bold selection of original artwork, as well as colouring books, jigsaws, journals and greeting cards.
We Are Nomads
Online homeware store, We Are Nomads, showcases a thoughtful selection of hand-crafted homeware from around the world. Founder and interior designer Jane Badu, travels from Ethiopia to Japan and Morocco to Swaziland, to source a unique selection of textiles, tableware and home décor.