Although February is Black History Month, a month that celebrates the often-overlooked contributions of African Americans, I find when you organically seek to focus on the best small brands and artisans, Black artisans and people of all colors and genders will naturally be highlighted. That said it is exciting to spotlight Black Movers and Makers in America. Most of the brands we feature in this post are NYC centric however have online shops and very rousing stories and product. Click on the captions in the images for websites.
Gwen Beloti is a Brooklyn native jewelry designer who founded her eponymous brand in 2019 after years of falling in love and having a deep appreciation of jewelry as an accessory that can always make you feel great and stylish no matter your body shape. Beloti focuses her collection on gold jewelry with a fine jewelry collection and a more affordable gold jewelry line. We love the HER pendant. “The golden queen pendant hangs on a chunky elongated box chain. It's subtly bold and all about HER. The luster of the face and crown can be seen from across the room. A 20" inch style that looks amazing with any top.” The chain is Gold filled made to last. Not traditional plating, gold filled items have a thick layer of genuine gold bonded to them, high quality. Pendant -18kt gold plated. Not flash plating, our gold plated jewels are designed with a thick coating of over 2.5 microns of genuine gold equivalent to gold vermeil, over a brass metal base. Beloti’s motto is “Wear your jewels with confidence”.
BEM Bookstore is the nation’s first Black food bookstore, café, and culinary hub that highlights all things Black, culinary & literary. Founded by sisters Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport and named after their grandmothers, Bernice and Marjory, the sisters wanted to create a hub that gave tribute to the Black culinary traditions that shaped them. After witnessing cookbook stores popping up they decided to start the first Black only cookbook shop that not only celebrates Black food but Black culture. Besides having a rich collection of African American cookbooks the bookstore operates also as a bar, and café that hosts a variety of culinary programming including book talks, dinners, demos, and more. 373 Lewis Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233
Norie Shoes is a footwear brand founded by Natasha Norte Standard, a former veteran who fell in love with fashion and design. Studying design in Italy after leaving the military she launched the Norie Shoe Company to create high-quality, comfortable, and wearable luxury shoes for women. The footwear is designed in New York City and handmade by artisans in Italy. Standard also founded EQWAL Footing, a brand focused on providing protective footwear for women in male-dominated professions like the military and engineering. We picked the Norie’s signature ballerina flats, made from soft black Nappa leather, are comfortable and supple enough to be worn all day long. With a touch of exotic snakeskin print at the heel, these flats were inspired by “Juana Arzuduy de Padilla, a revolutionary who fought to gain independence for her people in Upper Peru. This Bolivian guerrilla military leader joined the Chuquisaca Revolution in 1805 and eventually commanded a 6,000-strong military force.” We are delighted that female warriors and leaders are honored by Norie Shoes and focus on both style and wearability.
Denim Tears is a streetwear brand founded in 2019 by designer Tremaine Emory. He created the Made in the USA brand so the apparel functions as a "wearable archive" to explore and honor the African diaspora, and the history and strength of Black people in America. You can spot Denim Tears with their cotton wreath motif which was inspired by a visit to the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana. The cotton wreath symbolizes the pain of slavery and the triumph of Black life. Here we are featuring the Straight Cotton Wreath Denim Pant, a 13 oz denim, button fly with a back leather patch, five pocket construction and made from 100% cotton. It comes in dark wash, light wash and selvedge.
Brown Girl Jane is a fragrance house founded by entrepreneur Malaika Jones who decided to create a brand that conjures the essence of cultures around the world. Influenced by her global experiences. We decided to highlight “Chalet” with notes of dark cocoa, white truffle, champagne accord with essence of plum and vanilla. It is a popular scent due to it being rich yet airy and refreshing. Top notes: White Chocolate Truffle, Chalet Plum, Champagne Accord. Heart Notes: Dark Cacao, Winter White Jasmine, Snow Flower. Base Notes:Cashmere Vanilla, Santal Woods, Crystallized Patchouli.
peace + RIOT is a store established in 2013 by Brooklyn native Achuziam Maha-Sanchez. Sanchez offers a variety of gifts, home décor and an ethno-contemporary aesthetic with an intentional curated selection of international imported items plus items created from local artisans. There are a wide variety of categories, such as apparel for adults and children, accessories, home decor, games, housewares, stationary, beauty and wellness and more. It’s the sort of store you find yourself staying more longer than you anticipated.
We included Blooh, a brand that partners with artisans in Kenya, Africa and produces jewelry and handbags that are sustainable and fair-trade. Their jewelry is ethically sourced in Nairobi, Kenya and handmade by Kenyan artisans. Blooh prioritizes worker wellbeing, fair wages and being environmentally friendly. Blooh also produces handbags. We are featuring in this post the “Zuri Leather Large Tote Bag”. The tote is produced by ethical Kenyan artisans using 100% meticulously handcrafted vegetable tanned full grain leather of the highest quality. This beautiful caramel tote is perfect to go from day to night. It fits a 15.6" Laptop with a large zipper pocket that fits an iPhone Plus or similar. Blooh strives to reduce plastics from their shipping process and strive to source their raw materials locally. Most of their packaging is recyclable and compostable. Blooh’s artisans set their own rates and earn 3X above market rates of local workshops. Their mission is to empower local communities and partner with local non-profits that have been improving education outcomes for girls for over a decade in Kenya.
We couldn’t do a blog about Black Movers and Shakers without mentioning Cloudy Donut Co. Cloudy Donuts Co. is in our opinion one of the best gourmet donuts in the world (fighting words I know with the origin of the cronut just a few blocks away) and they are vegan!. Cloudy Donut Co. is the first Black Owned food and beverage business in Brooklyn Heights and Nolita. Founded by Derrick Faulcon and Zewiditu Jewel, Cloudy Donut Co. offers some of the most delicious and original donut flavors. With over 50 flavors such as brown butter chocolate chip donuts, apple pie cinnamon rolls and sweet potato pound cake (traditional flavors are also offered); all donuts are small-batched and hand crafted. My personal favorite is the Bananas Foster. The donuts come in mini-sized and large (warning they are a little pricey compared to the average donut shop). They also make pound cakes and cinnamon rolls. There is a shop in Nolita opened on the weekends and a full time store in Brooklyn Heights. Cloudy Donut Co. offers catering and events which you can arrange online. Warning! You will find yourself heading back again and again to Cloudy Donut Co. with the goal of trying every flavor.
Lit Brooklyn is a Brooklyn based candle company founded in 2015 by maker Denequa. She sought to create a candle company with materials that are sustainably sourced, toxin free and phthalate-free. Lit Brooklyn has an unwavering commitment to make & introduce cruelty-free affordable luxury. They are remarkably affordable for the high quality candle Brooklyn Lit creates. They create limited edition candle scents and also collaborate with other brands. We selected here the “Muse” candle. It’s the verb muse instead of the noun (to reflect deeply on a subject). The scent consists of notes of kai & gardenia. It’s the perfect scent to reflect and meditate on. Lit Brooklyn offers a variety of other scents and the 12 oz size burns for approximately 80 hours. There is a smaller travel size offered by Lit Brooklyn which last approximately 25 hours. Lit Brooklyn is the candle all poured by a Black woman in Brooklyn and makes for the perfect gift for others and for you.
Finding a Black Mover and Maker is as easy as searching your neighborhood or just Googling to find and support Black businesses. While 14.4% of the U.S. population identifies as Black or African American, only 3.3% of all employer businesses are owned by them. Let’s consciously help and prop up the Black Movers and Makers and not just in February.
The holidays are upon us once again and The Local Artisan Guide’s yearly gift recommendations are here to make shopping for you and your loved ones easy to find artisanal, well thought out gifts from small local brands.
We like to write four blogs for the holidays when it comes to gifting. Our first blog is for home decor as home decor is a great gift for friends, family, co-workers and even yourself. We will follow up with separate blogs for him, her and children/pets.
As always we focus on smaller, more local artisanal brands for our gift guide. Home decor is an especially pleasurable topic to recommend as gifts because it involves so many crafts and skillsets. We have made recommendations in multiple categories in all price ranges with brands that also offer their wares on their online shops which can be found by clicking the link in the captions.
City of Scents is a fragrance brand founded in NYC by friends Sebastien Courty and Rose Swarbrick. They decided to start the brand as both are avid travelers and wanted to recreate scents that are inspired by the places around the world that left olfactory impressions on them. For the holidays we recommend the wintery Aspen Room Mist.
This bright, wintery fragrance will fill your home with the essence of Aspen, replete with its perfect green pines, powdery slopes, clear skies and well-heeled socialites.
The crisp scent of Fir needle brings the outdoors in, while vetiver references the earthiness of Aspen’s alpine woodland, balancing this elevated blend. The traditional holiday fragrance, Myrrh, adds a complex spiciness and the essence of campfire provides a woody base, evoking the deep satisfaction that comes after an energetic day shushing off-piste.
Finally, anise infuses this bright and festive home fragrance with a top note that represents the elegance of this majestic mountain retreat and lends this incense an invigorating, and inviting, finish.
The Citizenry is one of the largest brands in the US that focuses solely on artisan home decor products. None of their products are created in factories but in small studios and ateliers from artisans around the world and in the United States all complying with Fair Trade regulations. We love the Torres Leather Storage Ottoman. This ottoman is handcrafted with vegetable-tanned cow leather ethically sourced from Alcanena, Portugal, a small town known as “The Land of Leather.” All made start-to-finish in a fair trade environment. This ottoman is ideal as it not only acts as an ottoman but can also be a coffee or side table and it also includes storage. This ottoman is perfect for parents with young children to make sure they are around furniture that won’t harm them and can also store their toys or any other items you need stored away.
Parachute was founded in 2014 by Ariel Kaye who wanted to provide high quality and affordable home goods that are easy to shop for. We love the Flannel Sheets that make sleeping through winter not only warm and toasty but very stylish. The Flannel Sheet set included one fitted sheet, one flat sheet and one set of standard pillowcases. The set comes in Thyme (as seen above) and Bone. The sheets are offered in Full, Queen, King and Cal King (comes with King size pillows) sizes. Made in Portugal the sheets are made of 100% cotton flannel that are brushed and cozy warm.
Highly curated Clic is a store that specializes in finding special pieces for your home from around the world to help you put your design fingerprint on your home and design style. One of the most important elements in designing your home are your books and library. Your books and your library express your passions and your interests. A beautiful coffee table book is not only aesthetically pleasing but can also offer eye candy for you and your guests. We picked the John Derian Picture Book from home decor designer John Derian who is world renowned for elevating the decoupage technique into fine art. Over the past 25 years, the brand has expanded greatly to include home and general design gifts and products. The book illustrates John Derian’s design inspiration and makes for a spectacular gift.
Global Table is the go to store in SoHo for all things tabletop. They have been selling tabletop drinkware, ceramics, cutlery, plates, cups, home decor and more for decades. One of the products they offer is this beautiful colorful Venezia Carafe. Designed in Italy by Federico de Majo, this faceted carafe has grip hold dents for easy holding and pouring. The colored glass carafes and tumblers in the Venezia collection are created by the typical Venetian technique of blowing incandescent paste inside a special diamond-shaped mould. Measurements: 3.7" diameter x 8.7" h. with 41 oz volume. The carafe is offered in Amethyst (as seen above), Sky Blue, Amber, Clear and Cobalt Blue.
Founded in 2015 by Shin Won Yoon and Stefen Ramirez, Tea Dealers is a NYC-based tea company. Focused on sourcing premium teas from small farmers in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and India, they offer pure, authentic varieties found no where else. Along with their teas is their incredible collection of teapots that make for truly memorable gifts. It’s quite an extravagant gift however we fell in love with the Hand Hammered Copper teapot that we feel will become a family heirloom. Made in Niigata, Japan by Studio Gyokusendo the teapot is described as “Crafted with a timeless, elegant design this teapot efficiently retains high temperatures, perfect for dark or old teas. The general rule of practice for teapots is that the higher the quality of the tea, the smaller the brewing vessel to create a concentrated taste through shorter steepings and thoroughly enjoy each successive brewing. This teapot features a built-in strainer so you can put the tea directly in and allow it to expand and fully release its magnificent taste. The textured body showcases delicate hammer marks and a rustic handle adorned in bamboo. As it is used regularly, the teapot will develop a one-of-a-kind patina, giving it a unique charm. The natural patina is not painted on but created through a traditional process with raw copper.” Dimensions are 13x8x9cm, 200ml.
Textile designer John Robshaw who is a favorite in the Interior Design world started out as a fine artist before he started his career in textiles. Besides offering textiles on his online shop, retailers around the world and his store in Connecticut, John offers art on his site as art will always be his first love. He believes strongly that all interiors are only better when they include art that you love. One of the images we love is the “Elephant Tapestry”. This fabulous tapestry was hand painted by an artist in Jaipur who also paints John’s hand painted pillows each season. True pieces of art, this tapestry is also part of a foursome of images that include besides the elephant a camel, horse and tiger which are sold individually or as a bundle, grab them quick as these are a limited quantity item. They are easy to hang unframed with the loops, or you can frame them for more of a formal look. Each tapestry is 22" x 26" and hand painted in India.
Plantshed has been a family owned and operated floral and botanical community since the 1950’s that combine a brick-and-mortar boutique plant and flower shop with a quaint cafe experience. We love Plantshed because we feel there is no better gift to make a room feel alive as giving a plant. We especially love the Ficus Lyrata tree, more commonly known as Fiddle Leaf Fig. The Ficus lyrata is a fashionable houseplant with sculptural and broad foliage, that makes a statement in any room with bright sunlight. The Ficus Lyrata is a broadleaf evergreen with large, violin-shaped foliage. As houseplants, Ficus Lyrata typically grows 2-10 feet tall and rarely produce fruit. Requiring bright, filtered sunlight, large specimens perform especially well in corner windows, ensuring light hits all the leaves. One of the most widely used plants by professional interior designers, the Ficus Lyrata adds drama and style to any space. Plantshed also offers a variety of beautiful pots that will make the ficus an even more stylish addition to your home.
Cards Against Humanity is a card game invented by a group of friends who made the first version to play at a New Year’s Eve party. You put the cards together to make ridiculous jokes. If you are giving a gift for someone’s home or a hostess gift for a holiday party, a card game for entertainment is a wonderful idea, especially when it’s going to make you all laugh your asses off. We recommend the “Human Pack”. For Black Friday 2019, they taught a computer to write Cards Against Humanity cards and then made their human writers battle it for their jobs. Wow! Here's the pack the humans wrote which has 30 beautiful cards about the human condition straight from the hearts of our human writers. Goes well with the A.I. Pack, which was written by the computer. They also donate a bunch of money to charities so its a win/win when you buy from Cards Against Humanity.
The New York Public Library has a shop that helps fund the library and in the shop they curate an incredible selection of local artisans. We picked again another version of the legendary “Pizza Rat” who became a viral sensation a few years ago when he showed New Yorkers (and the world) his love of NYC pizza by dragging a whole slice through the NYC subway system. The Pizza Rat ornament is the holiday decoration that bonds New Yorkers together in the coldest and most disgruntled time of the year. It is the perfect gift to place on a Christmas tree, mantle, or keychain for fun. The cute subway rat features a cheesy pepperoni-topped pizza and is wearing an "I Love NY" turtleneck sweater. For the true New York lover and meme lord! It is made of Felt and knitted wool and measures 3"L x 2.25"W x 6"H. It’s the perfect gift to bring to a holiday party so your host can add to their tree.
So there are our holiday recommendations for home decor that you can give to your friends, family and most importantly, yourself! These small brands strive to create unique gift giving experiences while giving back to the community. All the recommendations can only make a home a beautiful, calming place to be while showing the essence of the homeowner.
We did our choices for HER for Valentines Day, now we are going to do our blog for Valentines Day Gifts for HIM from The Local Artisan Guide. We have chosen five gift ideas that range in categories and price points yet are romantic, thoughtful, artisanal and unique. We know he will appreciate that you think he is original enough to shop artisanal.
This Brooklyn based perfume brand has created an amazing scent that can definitely be unisex in nature. Super Amber can best be described as:
Ever imagined perfume as a texture? Meet SUPER AMBER, a cozy, super warm, addictive scent that envelops like a cashmere blanket on warm bare skin. SUPER AMBER is the beautiful marriage of cutting edge olfactive technology (made with minimal environmental and social impact) and clean perfumery (it’s free of fragrance allergens). Unlike traditional fragrances, SUPER AMBER is not structured with top, middle and base notes. Rather it blooms once it interacts with your skin's own unique chemistry. It's unlike any perfume you've smelled.
What we love about this locally made in the USA perfume brand is the amount of eco-friendly responsibility that goes in creating their scents. It scores a AAA rating (green, social impact, environmental impact) for the EcoScent Compass, it is PETA certified vegan and cruelty free, the scent uses up cycled Virginia Cedarwood with a biodegradable musk. The bottle is composed of glass and can be reused or recycled. Remove cap and any spray parts, including the dip tube. Rinse out glass portion and reuse or recycle. It has a Bakelite Compression Cap: This cap is biodegradable and contains no petrochemicals.
Ghylain Rouge Chocolate Heart Box
Ghylain Rouge Chocolate Heart Box, $37.75
Originally from Québec, Canada, Ghyslain Maurais found his culinary passion while working in the field to fund his architectural education. Soon after, he changed career paths and became a renowned French pastry chef specializing also in chocolate décor, candy making, blown/pulled sugar and bread making. He relocated to his wife’s hometown of Union City, Indiana to establish Ghyslain Chocolatier. We love his original Rouge milk chocolate heart box that includes six of Ghyslain’s Valentine hearts, presented in a window box with red satin bow and watercolor tag. The chocolate heart flavors include:
Mango Margarita, Coconut Rum, Peach Daquiri, Jivara, Chocolate Raspberry and French Vanilla.
They can be ordered on the website and delivered straight to your loved one’s door. Hearts within a big red chocolate heart is the gift that keeps on giving.
Brooklyn based jewelry designer Bernice Kelly's is originally from Northern Ireland which has had an enduring influence on her approach to jewelry design from Ireland’s rugged landscapes and the warmth and tenacity of its culture. She has designed a collection of jewelry for men called “The Men’s Room” where her signature Signet rings date letter collection utilizes a strong British tradition which requires precious metals to be officially stamped. A symbol represents the metal the piece is created in, and the date letter represents the year it was made, by law only available for that particular year, there being a 26 year wait before this letter can be marked again. Classic large square signet ring in sterling silver with British hallmarks. The Lion represents Sterling Silver. 'X' is the hallmark for 2022. Specifications for this signet ring are:
Sterling silver. Face of ring measures at 11mm x 13mm. Band is 5.5mm at back
Kempton and Co., a handbag and leather goods brand founded by English designer Fiona Kempton who based her brand in Red Hook, Brooklyn offers plenty of Valentines Day gift options for him and that includes this Brass Stud Freddie Pouchette. In a buttery soft cowhide leather, the Freddie Pouchette can hold a passport, checkbook, or notepad holder offers an urban chic edge with a row of distressed brass studs down the center. Add a vintage pen for the ultimate gift. The pouchette includes:
Buttery soft cowhide leather exterior
Soft cotton twill interior
Solid brass clasp and studs that get better with age. We think the tarnish looks lovely. Prefer it shiny? No problem, it buffs up in seconds.
The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella from Florence, Italy plants its roots back to 1221. Creating multiple products for men’s and women’s beauty and skincare for hundreds of years now, the Shaving Foam is a special way to contribute to your loved one’s skincare routine. This moisturizing shaving foam is enriched with plant oils, for all skin types and mildly scented with Tabacco Toscano cologne. He’ll be forever grateful you have unearthed this product for his manscaping ways.
Clicking onto the title links will bring you to the products website featured in this blog. We feel very strongly that your man will enjoy and appreciate the unique gifts you were able to procure for him this Valentine’s Day that are artisanal and as unique and wonderful as you think he is too.
