Note from BBT: Making power moves. That’s what I think when I see the continuing explosion of the Afro-Brazilian entrepreneurial spirit. It’s been a minute since I’ve been able to share news coming out the world Afro-Brazilian fashion enterprises, and if you knew of all of the craziness coming out of Brazil these days, you’d understand why. I hope to explore some of these stories in the coming week, but for now, I want to focus on some brands that I’ve come to know in recent months as well as a few that have already featured on this blog.
Below are a few brief write-ups about nine brands that were recommended by a popular product subscription company that I introduced to readers, oh, I’d say a few years back, and its recommendations/introductions to the products of some small business products that they wanted consumers to keep their eyes on.
As you know, I’v been a fan of the “black money” concept being discussed among Afro-Brazilian entrepreneurs (even though I see some immediate challenges with the ideology and goals), so most of or all of the brands and products presented below are the concepts and productions of Afro-Brazilian business men and women. Take a look at a few of the items and maybe visit their websites, you’re bound to see a few things that catch your eye.
Clube da Preta indicates: 9 brands of afro-entrepreneurs to know
While movements raise the voice of the black population and initiatives react to racism, we requested the special help of entrepreneurs Bruno Brigida and Debora da Luz, of the company Clube da Preta (black woman’s club): a whimsical curation with incredible Brazilian brands, led by black people and/or those of peripheral origin, who have black pride as their work base. They are companies that work with different prints, products, concepts and audiences, with a creative and engaging footprint.
Oh, and if you don’t know Clube da Preta yet, it’s good to stay connected! They are a subscription club of fashion, art and culture items and works exclusively with products made by Afro-Brazilian entrepreneurs. Subscribers receive a monthly surprise box at home and help to transform realities of families and small companies.
To be part of Clube da Preta, just enter their site, fill out a form with answers about your profile, preferences and lifestyle, make the payment and that’s it! A super cool box will arrive at your home with hand chosen products for you.
Now that you know the work of Clube da Preta, take a look at these indications of 9 companies led by afro-entrepreneurs!
ZKAYA MODA AFROBRASILEIRA
An Afro-Brazilian fashion brand that translates in its prints the soul and ancestral African strength. It was born in July of 2016, through the dream of the owner to have a brand that would represent her with products with an African identity. The name is the junction of the African name Zaki which means intelligent and just, with the African symbol adinkra Aya which means resistance and perseverance.
“The slogan ‘The art of (re) exist’ is our way of expressing that we want people to take ownership of our history, and use the opportunity we have every day to exist in a new way, facing their fears, and bringing out the best version of themselves, whether with a tennis shoe, bag, earring, or any other item that we can produce, be they black, white, women and men, adults and children”.
BOUTIQUE DE KRIOULA
Created by Michelle Fernandes and Célio Campos, Boutique de Krioula started from an old passion of Michelle’s: turbans, which she already wore and always aroused the curiosity of her friends and close people, about where she had acquired them, how to wear them and with what to wear with them.
The business quickly began to grow to the point where it was necessary to create the site to better serve the number of customers and increase convenience at the time of purchase. Today, the brand has a line of Afro jewelry such as earrings and rings, designed one by one, which makes them unique and special, besides the beautiful national and imported turbans from Africa.
BENDITA MARIA
The brand was born in 2007 in alternative fairs in São Paulo directed to young and urban fashion. The manufacturing is her own and has always valued the Brazilian workforce throughout the production process. The pieces are exclusive and timeless, made in small scale, ensuring quality and delicacy in modeling and sewing.
Inspired by the clothes of her grandmother, the designer Kelly Teixeira has developed a strong and unique identity for the brand, putting in her creations all her passion for fashion.
MADDIE
Maddie was born in 2013 with the desire of the creator, Amanda Nascimento, to be able to bring fluffy and differentiated pieces from the retro world to the ABC region in São Paulo. The scarcity of sizes and models for real bodies, Maddie decided to take a step forward and start creating its own pieces in 2016.
Like any good creator, Amanda’s little head wouldn’t stop and in the midst of so many desires and dreams she saw that there was no way: one more step had to be taken and Maddie’s productive capacity had to grow. It was then that Michele Santos joined the team and began some changes, such as the maturing of the brand and the creation of the headquarters in 2019.
SELLOKO URBAN STYLE
With DNA Black and quality pieces at accessible prices, Selloko has conquered space in the Afro-Brazilian entrepreneur market. The company was born in 2015, on the outskirts of São Paulo, with the proposal to innovate the way of dressing, bringing a modern and stylish look.
The brand wagers on the universe of the periphery as a reference. Valuing its culture and also its roots, the brand that today has a consolidated space in the Afro market, now comes for a new phase of market expansion. The brand’s flagship is a key piece in everyone’s closet: the unisex t-shirt with looser modeling, which values freedom of movement and comfort.
NAYA VIOLETA
Official website | Instagram
Created in 2007, the brand takes the artistic name of its creator, designer Naya Violeta, a professional who adopts the personal and affective look as a perspective for her creations, as well as the self-biographical and narrative character, elements that together permeate the visual research and trends for the brand.
The growth in her stylistic trajectory is related to the life experiences and maturing processes that the stylist has been acquiring along her trajectory. A versatile professional, which through fashion has been acting on different sectors, with more punctual collaborations on areas such as cinema, music, theater and dance, added to a baggage that also includes more lasting collaborations, such as its relationship with the brand Anunciação.
MAKIDA
The brand reached the market in 2016 working representatively and started to stand out for taking its clothes to the corporate world. Born from a concern of of Ms. Ignez Barcelar, who says she didn’t feel represented in the workplace, the brand was founded by her and her husband.
Makida, the word that gave rise to the brand name, is Ethiopian and has a special meaning: “The most beautiful”, described in one word. The company offers the perfect combination to represent the strong, resilient, prosperous, independent and successful Brazilian woman of today and tomorrow.
A social impact company that uses playful elements to develop the power in children, youth and adults. The brand has opted for social transformation through toys, which are fundamental tools for the formation of subjectivities, in the relationship of individuals who play, with the world in which they live.
Its entrepreneurs believe that education is the only possibility of collective transformation and the goal is to impact school, offering support material for educators and developing methodologies that help professionals in their pedagogical routine.
XEIDIARTE
Xeidiarte was born in June 2015, on Facebook, as a page of illustrations, cartoons and caricatures. One of the goals has always been to provoke reflections on society, challenging standards, encouraging respect and equal rights and opportunities, without forgetting good humor.
Since December 2017, after many requests, the entrepreneurs started to produce some T-shirts. Today, the portfolio also includes dresses, paintings, notebooks, agendas and is steadily increasing. The illustrations represent characters and elements from black and popular Brazilian cultures.
Source: Sou de Algodão
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