For 46 short years, Americans have celebrated the achievements of African Americans and recognized their central role in U.S. history. President Gerald Ford decreed February as a national observance in 1976. He said, “In celebrating Black History Month, we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
In the spirit of that celebration, the following is an extensive (but by no means comprehensive) list of black-owned businesses in Los Angeles. From home goods and accessories to fashion design, beauty, jewelry, and beyond, these businesses are doing great things for the people of Los Angeles.
Jewelry
Breegan Jane
Breegan Jane is a designer, entrepreneur, lifestyle expert, philanthropist, and host of HGTV’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Her handmade jewelry benefits the World Vision’s child protection through education in Kenya campaign.
Brownhaze
Len Brown’s handmade jewelry collection utilizes wood, rocks, stones, metal, and wire. Their Bohemian jewelry can be worn in any casual or formal setting and by men and women.
Jendayi Collection
Jendayi (“to give thanks”) is a collection of unique, symbolic, culturally inspired wedding rings and fine jewelry. Owner Monnae Michaell has two appointment-only locations to choose from.
Beauty
CharLi Beauty Bar
Licensed esthetician Charli Taylor provides a full slate of beauty services. Customers come to her for body waxing, eyelash extensions, facials, and more.
Los Angeles Oils and Butters
Los Angeles Oils and Butters is the city’s original seed, emu, and rosehip oil skincare company. Licensed aesthetician Jerron “Ronnie” Mitchell launched his skincare line in 2017. His offerings include serums, scrubs, body creams, black seed oil, and oil-infused African black soaps.
Lot XI
Owner Krystyl Wright sells scrubs, candles, body butter, face masks, and more from her Compton-based apothecary.
Nena’s Organics
Owner Nena Addison designs and creates plant-based, organic health and beauty products. Her collection features healing balms & salves, bar soap, CBD products, and the Addison Collection for men.
Nyakio
Nyakio Kamoche Grieco is a first-generation American of Kenyan descent. Her formulas proudly incorporate Fair Trade Shea Butter with carefully selected, globally-sourced ingredients inspired by secrets and family traditions.
ProjectQ Salon & Community Center
ProjectQ provides free gender-affirming haircuts, hair color, and wigs to LGBTQIA+ people dealing with housing insecurities. Madin Ray Lopez is the founder, who originally started ProjectQ as a mobile salon.
Apparel
Adrien Sauvage
Adrien Victor Sauvage combines sartorial skill with regal elegance. His designs have attracted an impressive clientele group, including icons and Royalty, as well as the likes of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James.
Bephie
Bephie is founded by Union co-owner Beth Birkett and exudes a quintessential black Southern California experience throughout. The gender-neutral apparel here is colorful, with a distinct style all its own.
Carl’s Atelier
Carl’s Atelier is a lifestyle gallery featuring art, home decor, and antiquities from around the world. Carl Louisville is the owner and founder, whose collection also includes luxury tailored men’s collections. It also has the honor of being one of the only TASCHEN “shop in shops” in the world.
CJ’s Elegance
CJ’s Elegance is a legendary brand in the City of Angels, having recently celebrated 50 years in business. This women’s retail clothing business has expanded to include home goods, accessories, and even a young contemporary line of clothing.
Cross Colours
Carl Jones and TJ Walkers launched Cross Colours in LA in 1989. In the process, they garnered the attention of Will Smith and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The duo effectively utilized influencer marketing long before that term was even known. As a result, record companies began sending artists to the Cross Colours team. Ultimately, this snowballed and manufactured plenty of new clients and relationships.
Curvy Bombshells
This online clothing store is designed for plus-sized women. Nicole Rionne focuses on apparel that supports the female shape while looking good too.
Fear of God
Jerry Lorenzo’s elite streetwear label has collaborated with some impressive, big names over the years. Most recently he worked with Ermenegildo Zegna for Paris Fashion Week in March 2020; a head-turning moment for any designer, much less a man with humble beginnings as a Diesel stock room employee.
Kenneth Nicholson
Kenneth Nicholson is an American fashion designer that challenges the rules of the genre by evolving historical points of reference with the empirical application.
Kevan Hall Designs
Kevan Hall is a true icon of the fashion world, having worked with the likes of Celine Dion, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron, and Salma Hayek, to name a few. His list of fashion awards is perhaps only outdone by the number of times he has appeared on TV shows.
8313 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048
Kutula by Africana
Kay and Bo are second-generation owners of KUTULA, with parental roots in Nigeria and Zambia. This sister duo created LA’s premiere and most-recognized authentic, African-inspired fashion retailer. Their penchant for stunning design even caught the eye of costume designers for Marvel’s Black Panther and Captain America: Civil War.
The Lace Lounge
Owner Tiffany Fitzgerald has been in the bra business for many years, helping women with expert bra fittings in a no rush, no-pressure environment.
Lavie by CK
Founder Claude Kameni was raised in Cameroon, where she cultivated a fervent passion for fashion. Her vibrant, colorful collection of men’s and women’s pieces is head-turning, to say the least. In true pandemic fashion, she even began selling bold, vivid face masks.
Lucy’s Boudoir
Lucy’s Boudoir is the only full-service, bra-fitting shop in Long Beach. Crystal Rogers is the owner and head-fitting specialist who has trained her small army of skilled bra fitters to put women at ease when determining ideal styles for all body types. Though in-person fittings are currently paused, virtual and phone appointments are available.
Neon Cowboys
Neon Cowboys was founded by Asia Hall as a fashion tech brand with a flair for western glowing apparel and accessories. Their goal is to help their customers to glow from the inside out. Asia is also the daughter of design Kevan Hall, who also holds a spot on this list. Last but not least, she launched glowing face masks with fiber-optic fabric in response to the pandemic.
One-of-a-Kind Hats
The mother-daughter team Sonja Robinson and Meeka Robinson Davis are the owners and co-founders of this full-service boutique. Patti LaBelle and the late Aretha Franklin are but two of the noteworthy women to don their hats. For more than 30 years the duo has served the community. Their designs have been featured in The Grammy Museum, Disney’s The Descendants, and many more.
Perry White
The varied collection from Perry White includes signature latex bodysuits and dresses for women and track pants and embroidered jackets for men, among others.
Pinky Rose Boutique
Pinky Rose features numerous clothing items for women designed by Pinky Marcia Rose herself. Since 2005 she has been a mainstay in the Mid-Wilshire region, delivering originality and flair to the world of women’s fashion.
Rec Room
The philosophy behind Rec Room is simple: when you’re comfortable and confident, you are your best self. Friends and founders Dre Taylor Lindsey and Val Young made Rec Room a reality by taking everything women love about activewear and putting it into everyday wear. From four-stretch fabrics and antimicrobial properties to wrinkle resistance and incredibly soft materials, this duo is redefining athleisure. As if that’s not enough, they also channel 1% of gross sales into racial justice initiatives benefiting organizations working to eradicate systems of racial injustice across the country.
Renowned
John Dean III founded this LA-based streetwear brand, with its original roots in Ohio. He even launched a Heroes of Blackness t-shirt, pushing all proceeds to Black Lives Matter, the George Floyd Foundation, and Reclaim the Block.
The Runway Boutique
Fatima Dodson’s Runway Boutique is a blend of Afrocentric, carefree, Brooklyn bohemian fashion-forward goodness. This West Adams store sells vintage and contemporary clothing, head wraps, headbands, hats, masks, and other accessories.
Sergio Hudson
Sergio Hudson is a luxury women’s ready-to-wear label designed and produced in Los Angeles and New York. The collections at Sergio include jaw-dropping statement pieces and wardrobe staples. The aesthetics are so appealing — they caught the eyes of numerous high-profile customers, including Beyonce, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Jennifer Lopez, among others.
The Small Shop L.A.
Joel Stallworth founded The Small Shop L.A. in 2016 at the corner of 6th and Spring Street. Customers love the locally sourced and manufactured streetwear pieces, especially his signature “Lost in Los Angeles” line of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and caps.
Stuzo Clothing
This gender-free clothing company seeks to invoke thought and emotion. Founders Uzo Ejikeme and Stoney Michelli combine humor with messages of inclusion for a brand that is non-conforming and bold at heart.
Union Los Angeles
Union is known for walking the line between fashion and function. Above all, their streetwear is eclectic and reflects the diverse city of Los Angeles.
110 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Waraire Boswell
The Waraire Boswell brand is synonymous with attention to detail, proper fit, style, taste level, and innovation. His previous clients are many and varied: Will Smith, Ellen Degeneres, LeBron James, Jay Z, and more. Plus, in response to the pandemic, Waraire has begun fashioning stylish masks with fabrics from previous collections.
Accessories, Services, & more
Agnes Baddoo
Agnes Baddoo handcrafts leather goods that are known for their simple form and genuine craftsmanship. Her totes, purses, and belts are designed with carefully selected materials.
Compostable
Compostable’s mission is simple: close the loop in our food systems by transforming former waste into future nutrients. The company works to build sustainably-minded communities by cultivating individual awareness, empowerment, and collaboration.
Contained Bliss
The co-owners of Contained Bliss were born and raised in Southern California. They specialize in landscape design and installation, boasting a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and certified in landscape design.
Eso Won Books
Stepping into Eso Won Books is like stepping back in time, in the best way possible. It represents a simpler time when the full experience of finding and reading a great book was a cherished activity. Supporting them is both a vote for small businesses and a vote for black-owned businesses.
Jeanetta Gonzales
Jeanetta Gonzalez is an LA-based designer, illustrator, and artist coach. Her illustrations have been featured in the New York Times and The California Lottery, among others.
Just Succ It
Owner Andrea Chasse-Galbreath fell in love with succulents last year while making her yard drought tolerant. Though coronavirus postponed her wedding to her fiance Andrew, it didn’t affect her affection for succulents!
Leafy Green Creations
Leafy Green Creation seeks to connect people with high-quality, hand-selected, locally grown plants. In addition, plants are delivered for free within 5-7 days!
Logan’s Gardens
Logan’s Gardens is helmed by Jimmy Williams and his son Logan. The pair grow and sell over 1,000 varieties of heirloom edible plants. Plant lovers can purchase them Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Santa Monica Farmers Market, or Sundays at the Hollywood Farmers Market.
Offerings
Schentell Nunn created Offerings out of a genuine appreciation for the joy of flowers. Her goal is to honor the heritage of flowers and bring awareness to the many ways our lives are enriched through relationships with plants.
Tamra Copper L.A.
Cheryl Freeman’s copper water bottles are handcrafted in India with the highest quality copper available. Copper is the metal of choice because it improves vitality in the body, increases metabolism, and serves as an immune booster and natural antioxidant, to name a few! Find her bottles on her website and at Anthropologie.
The Plant Chica
Plant aficionados can receive houseplants directly to their door with The Plant Chica, aka Sandra Adis. The green-thumbed owner also hosts occasional “Adopt-a-Plant” events. (Note that as of February 8, 2021, The Plant Chica is taking a short break to focus on opening a brick-and-mortar location in Los Angeles. Visit the Etsy store link for updated info!)
The Plant Mon
The Plant Mon (by Easton Garden Designs) got its start in 2016 thanks to Louis Easton. Louis is passionate about discovering eco-friendly alternatives to contemporary flower and plant arrangements. Most importantly, he strives to do so by relying on the newest science and academic approaches.
The Plant Provocateur
Owner and founder Hank Jenkins began his business as a popup marketplace around LA. It has since evolved to a shop in Silver Lake, and again into an online shop in the wake of COVID.
The Ron Finley Project
Ron Finley is known as the “Gangsta Gardener,” a man who set out on a mission in 2010 to bring fresh produce to South Central LA. His intrepid spirit caught the eye of creative leaders and media voices, leading to a TED talk and even a gardening MasterClass.
The Underground Museum
The Underground Museum is a family-run non-profit dedicated to exhibiting museum-quality art to diverse communities for free. In non-COVID times they offer art exhibitions, live events, film screenings, an outdoor garden, workshops, and a bookstore. However, at the moment they are offering a small but might selection of art catalogs, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and kids’ books.
Walker Noble Studios
Walker Noble Studios seeks to connect beautiful works of art with enthusiastic owners. One of the shop’s guiding principles is that everyone should be able to enjoy art.
Whit Hazen
This design studio focuses on creating beautifully crafted flowers and home goods in Los Angeles. Founder Whit McClure has developed a style that is equal parts whimsical, dynamic, and seasonally inspired.
Home Goods
Antique Stove Heaven
Owner Winsor Williams utilizes over 31 years of experience with antique stoves. She manages this one-stop-shop for all antique stove-related things: repair, restoration, TV/Film rentals, and sales.
Bridgid Coulter
This residential and commercial interior design firm also designs custom furniture. Their favorite aesthetics include earthy modern, bohemian, Spanish Moroccan, midcentury, and eclectic traditional.
Brigette Romanek
Owner Brigette Romanek hails from Chicago, but she has more than made a name for herself in Los Angeles. She offers designs for commercial, residential, and retail spaces.
Cain Interiors & Construction
Since 2000, Cain Interiors and Construction has been crafting beautiful homes in and around Bel-Air, Beverly Grove, and Trousdale Estates. They specialize in utilizing sustainable techniques and regularly produce gorgeous hardscape and landscape designs, among other things.
Colette Shelton
Colette Shelton is an LA native (also known as Coco) and an entrepreneur, design blogger, and home furnishings designer. Plus, she’s the host and executive producer of COCODOZY Design House, currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Cultural Interiors
Owner Gail Hawkins personally gathers specialty items from the Caribbean, West Africa, Japan, Mexico, South America, China, Indonesia, and East India. From home decor and candles to furniture and kitchen pieces — this shop has a wide variety that is sure to keep you coming back for more.
Ekua Ceramics
Ekua Ceramics is owned and operated by Long Beach ceramist Sara Ekua Todd, who cites her multi-ethnic upbringing in Belgium as a major influence on the artistic variety of her work.
Faith Blakeney
Founder Faith Blakeney favors a new approach to Design. She disregards convention in favor of innovation, collaboration, play, out-of-the-box thinking, and social conscience.
45 Three Modern Vintage Home
This vintage store is positively bursting with glamour, style, and plenty of amazing & covetable pieces. From ceramic lamps and regency settees to abstract art, tufted chairs, and more — owner Staci Cain offers a little bit for everyone.
Interior Obsession
Owner Lisa Turner relies on more than 20 years’ experience in creative Interior Design and Management to create beautiful residential and commercial interior designs. Her philosophy is a love of color and respect for architecture.
Justina Blakeney
Justina’s Jungalow brand features a varied mix of items, from plants and planters to rugs and pillows, even furniture and lighting. Plus, Justina is a best-selling author.
Kimberleigh Aarn
Kimberleigh crafts handmade functional and decorative pottery for the masses. She’s been making eye-catching pieces since 2012. Plus, all of her functional ware is food, dishwasher, and oven safe.
Knibb Design
Designer Sean Knibb is the owner and founder of this majestic company. He strives to create a range of landscape, architectural, and interior projects that incorporate the philosophy of creating a sense of place. That philosophy means establishing a well-designed and integrated package of fantasy, drama, and creature comfort. His Flowerboy project is equal parts boutique, cafe, and flower shop, with donuts!
Latifah Saafir Studio
Latifah Saafir Studios is a quilt, sewing pattern, and product company that also represents Quilt Cadets. Quilt Cadets teaches children to quilt through various sewing projects. In addition, Latifah is the cofounder of Los Angeles Modern Quilt Guild and the Modern Quilt Guild.
Linda Hayslett
Designer Linda Hayslett comes from a fashion and entertainment background. She was recently named one of House Beautiful‘s 2020 Next Wave Designers to watch. Customers adore her residential and commercial designs, as well as interior styling.
Mann Handmade
LA-based potter and foodie Sharon Mann draws inspiration for her ceramic art from the trendy character of Los Angeles architecture. In particular, she notes mid-century modern, craftsman, and Spanish revival as major influences. Plus, she teaches wheel throwing and is available for private lessons!
Marie Burgos Design
Marie Burgos Design is dedicated to enriching lives through design, with offices in New York and Los Angeles. This full-service interior design firm helps clients nationwide; plus it doesn’t hurt that founder Marie is a Feng Shui expert.
Queen Boutique
Queen Boutique is known for its plants, eyewear, jewelry, and masks, all thanks to the visionary owner, Amorette.
RUME by Tauska
Principal designer Tauska Trusaun-Kennedy brings a wealth of professional interior design to the table. RUME seeks to create living environments that are comfortable and maintain a twist of individuality.
Tactile Matter
Tactile Matter is the brainchild of award-winning multidisciplinary artist and Creative Director Kenesha Sneed. Ms. Sneed (an LA native) designs beautiful stoneware ceramics and has a forthcoming children’s book, Many Shapes of Clay, slated for release in Spring 2021.
Torch L.A.
Torch candles are handcrafted, nontoxic, and non-estrogen-producing. They serve as a lotion, perfume, or massage oil and represent the point where luxury meets eco-friendly. Browse owner Claunesha “Cjay” Jones’ collection of coconut-wax candles online and at the Playa Vista & Atwater Village Farmers’ Markets.
2dollz
Artists and sisters Kamilah and Adrianna Alexander craft custom glassware for every occasion. From pearl-encrusted pint glasses to trucker hats fashioned with Swarovski crystals, this creative duo creates specialty gifts perfect for weddings, birthdays, and corporate events. Their selflessness was on full display in 2020, however. The pair organized a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for healthcare heroes and essential workers.
Contributor, designer & admin for JohnHart Gazette.
