Buy from These Black-Owned Portland Brands
Designer Jean Pierre Nugloze of N'Kossi Boutique in one of his tailored suit. We named N'Kossi one of Portland's Great Shops in December 2019.
Image: Christopher Dibble
Simply hitting the like button on a social media post isn't enough. There are a lot of ways to give back and support racial justice. From Cameron Whitten's Black Resiliency Fund, to becoming a member of the NAACP, to donating to one of our city's oldest civil rights orgs, Urban League Portland, there's no shortage of opportunity to harness your dollars for good. But you can also use those dollars to support these Black-owned businesses while buying things for the home, to drink, for gifts, and to wear. Bookmark these sites and commit to buying not just today, but today, six months from now, and in the long-term future. For an expansive list of Black-owned businesses in Portland beyond products, follow Mercatus Pdx. And be sure to check out our Black-Owned Businesses: Service Directory of companies you can hire for everything from tailoring to photography to moving companies.
APPAREL
N’Kossi Boutique
One of the city’s best designers, Jean Pierre Nugloze, uses fabric from his childhood home in Togo to create perfectly tailored jackets, dresses, and suits in color bursting fabrics.
Mimi’s Fresh Tees
Kamelah (Mimi) Adams, a born and raised Portlander, kick-starts social justice conversations with her shirts and hats that say, "Make Racism Wrong Again" and "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History."
Designs by Thor
We named designer Tony Iyke one to watch back in the year back in 2018 with his amazing tailoring and celeb clientele (like Tommy Thayer, guitar player for a little band called KISS, and stylish Timbers forward Fanendo Adi). “We Nigerians like colors, a lot, so I’m not afraid to use it. If it feels good, looks good, then why don’t you try it, too? You might like it,” says Iyke.
Parker + Simonne
Located inside Cargo and online, designer Tiffany Kirkpatrick creates easy to wear tunics and tops out of beautiful textiles. The small batch line made with beautiful African Indigos and Malian mudcloths are here and gone, so grab your favorite when you see it. Do they already look familiar to you? You might’ve seen her designs on Lily Tomlin’s character on Grace & Frankie.
Hero Masks Studio
Located on the craft-oriented site Etsy, Saffron Bellecroix designs and sells face coverings through her business Hero Masks Studio. Bellecroix sews each mask from cotton with an interior lining of muslin for a softer finish. The online store has an array of cute designs and prices are kept low, only adding to the stores 5-star ratings.
Like Dat Apparel
Owned by Dontae Mathis, Like Dat Apparel is a custom printing company specializing in custom screen printed apparel, web/logo design, airbrush, heat press, and vinyl. They are also a promotional product distributor. Like Dat Apparel is currently only offering Black Lives Matter branded apparel in an effort to support programs and citizens who would like to see an end to racial injustices, police brutality, and prejudice.
ACCESSORIES
Hue Noir
Paula Hayes used her background as a product development chemist to fill a gap in the local cosmetics market—makeup for women of color. Her Beaverton-based company, Hue Noir, specializes in handcrafted, small-batch lipsticks, glosses, and eye shadows for darker skin tones.
The Baked Clay Studio
Released in small batches through her Etsy site, accessory designer Kristin Pruitt makes pieces that are equal parts jewelry and art, like colorful clay chunks embedded into a big hunk and sliced into circles and squares.
Amaree & Reese
Bright orange carnelian pendants, dangling brass rainbow earrings, and beautiful silver hoops: Find all these pretty baubles and more by accessory designer Risa Regory.
FOOD & DRINK
Deadstock Coffee
Likely the coolest coffee shop in the city, and undoubtedly the one with the most stylish clientele, owner Ian Williams also sells in-house beans that are roasted each Tuesday and shipped fresh each Thursday.
Abbey Creek Vineyard
The first recorded Black winemaker in Oregon, Bertony Faustin eschews the snootiness that can come with the wine world. Instead he has a tasting room that blasts hip-hop, a wine club you have to earn your way into with being part of the community, and a crisp chardonnay ripe for summer sipping. Non-shopping related: Rent Faustin’s online documentary Red, White, and Black to learn about minority winemakers in Oregon.
Miru
Chaunci King launched her spirits company with the introduction of a pear-flavored vodka, Miru, in 2014. Now, her Royalty Spirits distribution line offers a plain vodka and a whiskey in addition to the classic Miru.
Felton & Mary
Felton and Mary Campbell created family recipes of superb Texas-style BBQ sauces and spices. Now the family biz offers a handful of savory options. Try the BBQ Prayer Box with Classic Spice Rub, Smoky Brown Sugar sauce, Medium, and Hot BBQ sauce all in one reusable container for just $40. Bonus: You get some of Felton’s own secret BBQ tips included.
Drink Mamey
Cydnie Smith-McCarthy makes fresh juices like pineapple/celery/lemon Green is Good or the watermelon/apple/lemon Sweet Talk. Order them online by Thursday each week for delivery the following Friday.
Sugar Street Bakery
Sugar Street Bakery offers tons of sweet treats named after Portland streets like the Burnside cupcake with vanilla sponge doused in chocolate ganache and toasted coconut flakes plus caramel. Owners Justine Flaherty and Kenric Craver also offer light bistro menus like fresh sandwiches and salads for takeout at their two locations.
Cason’s Fine Meats
For more than 35 years, Theotis Cason has been carving meat for his loyal customers. In addition to his cuts of chicken, pork, and beef—all hormone and chemical free—he sells smoked sausages and smoked bacon. Call in your order in advance to accommodate social distance pickup.
HOME & GIFTS
A Kids Book About
The series of children’s books began when founder Jelani Cobb wrote A Kids Book About Racism in order to talk to his own kids. The series is continuously expanding with books on topics like bullying, feminism, disabilities, and divorce.
GreenHaus Gallery
Cole and Dayna Reed do a lot from GreenHaus Gallery in Northeast Portland. It is both an art gallery featuring rotating work from artists in addition to group shows, and a boutique with gifts, woodcarvings, beautiful textiles, vintage goods, and even a subscription box set. Plus, they’re available for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultation and interior design work.
With Love From PDX
Inger McDowell’s gift baskets feature themed products from nearly 100 local vendors. Shop and ship gifts to friends with themes like "Culinary Delight" and "Self Care" stuffed into adorable boxes. You can also build your own from her product list.
Emagination Creation Dezigns
Emmanuel (Manny) Calvin Dempsey began his line of cartoons three years ago when he turned 11. His artist’s statement says, “I’m proud to present art that represents me and my community.” While Dempsey aims to be a cartoonist when he grows up, he seems to already be there. Shop from his line of prints, notebooks and tees, all with his original artwork.
Ecovibe Home/Style
From wily Pilea in shiny pots to a Pinterest-perfect living wall of ferns and tiny watermelon peperomias, EcoVibe Home is a plant-lovers oasis. “The timing was just perfect for the community to come around. This type of thing had been missed from here for a long time,” says Len Allen, as he motions to the street he happily inhabits every day. “I’ve lived in Northeast Portland all my life. My relatives go back three generations here. This was coming home.” He and his wife Dre also run EcoVibe Style for apparel needs.
House Dogge
Angela Medlin spends her days running FAAS: the Functional Apparel and Accessories Studio for students looking to break into the sportswear industry and learn from Medlin’s years of design director gigs at Eddie Bauer, Levi’s, and the North Face, and Nike. But on the side, she also runs House Dogge, an adorable line of goods for you pup, like leather chew toys and colorful bandanas.
J&K Partners
Gardening is no joke on the back. That’s why teenage brother-sister duo Jaylen and Kyla Palmer are making raised cedar gardening beds for sale. If you too want to eliminate the back-breaking work of gardening, but still yield the bounty of herbs and flowers, order one of their stylish raised gardening beds by messaging them on their Facebook page, J&K Partners.
Entrepreneurs Jaylen and Kyla Palmer with one of their handmade cedar garden beds.
Image: Courtesy J & K Partners
Great Little Shops 2019
Jean Pierre Nugloze’s N’Kossi Boutique Helps Portland "Do Dressy"
Gift Guide
Gifts for $50 and Under
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