By It can be our most prized possession, a work of art, or the everyday bag we rely on more than our best friend. Make it a priority to vary your closet since the items we carry weight, both literally and emotionally. In this year 2022, it’s time to commit to making intentional fashion choices for yourself. Black people matter, and so does their businesses. We rounded up some Black-owned handbag brands for you to know, support, and give them love. Whether it’s fashion industry favorites like Brother Vellies or indie brands, you should also be paying attention to other brands. Read through the blog to know such brands.
Murway
Murway was founded in 2020 by Denishio Murray with artistry at its core. Murray combines the “essence of black style and culture” with European leather craftsmanship, teaming up with traditional Italian workshops.
MAX+min
The Max+min brand was founded and designed by Tiarra Smallwood’s expression of minimalism with a maximalist touch. Based in New York, her goal is to dispel the myth that “black-owned brands are not or cannot be luxury.”
Zashadu
As a child, Zainab Ashadu fell in love with her mother’s purse, which led to a career that spanned art to acting and then architecture to her current position as creative director of Zashadu. It uses traditional techniques made by local artisans in community-driven workshops in Lagos. Output? A line of bags made with sustainable leathers and fair trade exotics, exuding a quiet glamour.
Homage
Antoine Manning creates for Homage with purpose. Jamaican American accessories designer Manning wants his designs to become something “charged with sociopolitical intention. His core style, the Ova, does just that. Each piece of the bag has its own poem written by Manning, titled “Passion” for this pink hue, “Tranquility” for this green hue, and “Solidarity” for this brown hue.
Sarep+Rose
The brand wants to make “Made in Africa” fashionable. As part of the firm’s sustainable lifestyle mission, they hire employees from artisanal collectives and fair trade factories to manufacture handbags and home goods from “tanned leathers, natural grasses, and handwoven textiles that are culturally significant.”
