Black-Owned Ethical, Sustainable Brands
TO SUPPORT NOW AND ALWAYS
By Jaclyn Tracy
In response to the police killing of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement united pop culture at a scale never seen before. The New York Times called it, “the biggest collective demonstration of civil unrest around state violence in our generation’s memory. For the first time in American history, the unifying theme is at last: “Black Lives Matter.” The systemic racism we have all heard, learned about, seen or—if black—experienced throughout our lifetimes has made us feel anger, sadness, fear, discomfort and a collective understanding that we must do better.
As demonstrations grew, not only in all 50 states, but worldwide:
Hundreds, if not thousands, of brands published social media posts vocalizing support for the Black Lives Matter movement or against racism.
Resources to promote education on racism circulated the internet, as did information on how to take action.
A social challenge emerged June 1-7 called #AmplifyingMelanatedVoices which encouraged white folks who create content to mute themselves and report content from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) content creators instead.
We at SISTAIN participated in this challenge and amplified black-owned sustainable, ethical businesses within Fashion, Home and Wellness.
Of the twenty-four black-owned businesses we highlighted, here are profiles on four that we can’t stop thinking about.
SHOP SOKO
Women-led? Sustainable? Ethical? And B-Certified? Soko is all of those things and more.
With partners Gwendolyn Floyd and Ella Peinovich, Catherine Mahugu created Soko, a jewelry brand that is founded on sustainability. It’s jewelry brings together a modern aesthetic while it’s manufacturing platform provides global market access to artisan communities in Kenya. The result is a collection of necklaces, earrings, and rings that are sculptural and modern, and nod to the rich African culture.
Sustainable Practice:
When possible, Soko uses reclaimed, recycled, upcycled or natural materials acquired from local markets and vendors.
It takes sustainable approaches and chooses partners who implement sustainable practices whenever possible.
During processing of metals, Soko re-uses water for maximum efficiency.
It’s jewelry supply chain increases income 5x for marginalized artisans in the developing world.
Price: $$
Instagram: @shopsoko
Our Picks:
LEMLEM
Looking for socially driven, bohemian beachwear? Look no further.
lemlem is an artisan-driven sustainable fashion label for women, men, and kids made in Africa. Supermodel Liya Kebede was inspired to launch the brand following a trip to her native Ethiopia where she met a group of traditional weavers who no longer had a market for their craft. lemlem is committed to elevating artisanship and expanding production and jobs across Africa.
Sustainable Practice:
While lemlem has some work to do to improve their sustainability score², they make products by hand, which reduces the climate impact.
It partners with independent artisans in Africa and has a mission to improve social conditions.
It traces most of its supply chain including all of the final stages of production.
Price: $$
Instagram: @lemlemofficia
Our Picks:
Kelali Off Should Dress ($295)
Eshe Plunge Neck Dress ($375)
MIE
100% linen dresses, sign us up!
Míe is a lifestyle brand that provides elegant clothes and homeware consciously made to be nature-friendly founded by Damilola 'Damie' Idowu. It sells mostly resort wear, made with natural and biodegradable fabrics, that are breathable, tasteful and functional, for conscious women. All Mie’s clothes are locally made by seamstresses and artisans here in Lagos, Nigeria where Mie is based.
Sustainable Practice:
Uses natural and biodegradable fabrics for it’s fashion line, which is made up of mostly linen.
Mie continues to seek ways to improve it’s design and production processes so the products meet customer needs without jeopardizing the environment and compromising the future.
Price: $
Instagram: @the_mie
Our Picks:
Sicily Dress ($145)
Baru Dress ($200)
ADMIRAL ROW
Your affordable, high-quality vintage and hand-made jewelry for all occasions
Sharee Davis-Foster and Gregg Foster are a husband-wife team in Atlanta, Georgia. By day, Sharee works as a criminal defense attorney and Gregg is a digital operations manager.¹ Their side hustle is Admiral Row, a men’s and women’s accessories company offering high-quality vintage, handmade and modern pieces at affordable prices. A portion of Admiral Row’s sales in June will serve to support social justice organizations.
Sustainable Practice:
We are not clear on the company's sustainability policies for all jewelry it sells. However, many of Admiral Row’s products are hand-made, which reduces climate impact, and vintage, which is always the most sustainable choice.
Price: $
Instagram: @admiralrow
Our Picks:
Vintage Pave Bracelet ($36)
BROTHER VELLIES
Luxury accessories that celebrate cultural histories and timeless design
Brother Vellies was founded in 2013 with the goal of keeping traditional African design practices, and techniques alive while also creating and sustaining artisanal jobs. Now handmade artisanally across the globe, Brother Vellies creates luxury accessories that celebrate cultural histories and timeless design. Toronto-native and New York City-transplant, Creative Director and Founder Aurora James amassed an impressive resume of fashion industry experience prior to starting Brother Vellies. Her background in fashion, journalism, art, music, photography, and horticulture joins a forever-passion for artisanship, design, and humanitarianism to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces that will remain in your wardrobe forever.
Sustainable Practice:
Brother Vellies is committed to honoring the people who make its products and the places where they are made. Because of this, Brother Vellies treats each step of the process with the utmost care for its artisans, its customers, and our planet.
At Brother Vellies core, you will find vegetable-tanned leathers, soling from recycled tires, hand carved wood, floral dyed feathers along with a collection of other by-product materials sourced from farmers across the globe.
The company strives to lessen the impact of production practices by continuing to ask questions and make changes each season.
Price: $$$
Instagram: @brothervellies
Our Picks:
Aquarius Clog ($595)
Garden Tote ($65)
As I publish this article on June 7, 2020, the final step to the #AmplifyingMelanatedVoices challenge is to reflect on what was different for you during this week. What I learned is that we are not going to get anywhere until we are able to sit in this discomfort we call growth and acknowledge the racism that exists. I don’t have the answers but I do know we can educate ourselves by listening to the voices of black leaders, activists, creators, parents and entrepreneurs. And never stop practicing allyship. At SISTAIN, we are committed to the hard work, the real growth and the actions step-by-step, day-by-day that it will take to stand up and continue to be a part of this change. — Jaclyn Tracy, Founder
¹Side Hustle School (2017). Atlanta Couple Sells Affordable, High Quality Accessories.
²Good On You (2019). lemlem brand rating.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn Tracy's goal with SISTAIN is to make a greater difference by educating, activating and making sustainable consumerism not only easier, but aspirational. She believes success is in the collective impact, getting a whole group of people to change their behavior by committing to choosing sustainable brands, less waste and imperfect progress. Jaclyn is also the co-founder of Brand Effect, a holistic digital marketing agency.
