Katherine Robinson
Black Pound Day is on Saturday 6 March – here’s how to get involved. These are some of the Black-owned businesses you can support in the UK to help make the retail economy fairer and more diverse
If you're looking to support Black-owned business, there are so many great fashion and beauty brands, as well as designers, out there to discover! Whether you're looking for a high-end luxury buy, or something simple and sweet, there's a Black-owned brand you can support while also adding something fabulous and unique to your beauty haul or wardrobe. We've put together an edit of our favourites, including royal approved designers that count Meghan Markle as a fan.
One great way to regularly support your favourites is to shop monthly on Black Pound Day on the first Saturday of every month – the next one happening on 6 March.
RELATED: 22 fashion and beauty brands donating to Black Lives Matter
SHOP NOW: 12 fab Black-owned face coverings to shop online now
What is Black Pound Day?
The #BlackLivesMatter movement shone a light on racial prejudice and inequality and millions joined in with protests after the horrifying death of George Floyd. It’s up to us to make sure the work of promoting change and dismantling systematic racism continues, and one new initiative that is helping push the movement forward is Black Pound Day.
The campaign hopes to motivate UK shoppers – starting with at least one day per month to begin with - to buy from black-owned businesses, both locally and online to help make the retail economy fairer and more diverse.
When is Black Pound Day?
It began on 27 June and going forward will be held on the first day Saturday of the month. The next one is 7 March – just in time to pick up some gifts for Mother's Day!
Black-owned gifts to shop on Black Pound Day
Keep reading for a list for our edit of fantastic brands to support, and visit blackpoundday.uk for a comprehensive list across all sectors.
BONITA IVIE PRINTS
Bonita Ivie friendship 'Miss You' card, £3, Etsy
London-based, self-confessed stationery addict and graphic designer Bonita Ebuehi was fed up with the lack of ethnic influence in high street stationery stores and saw a huge gap in the market for diverse stationery. So she set out to fix things in January 2017, launching Bonita Ivie Prints, a gifts, stationery and homeware brand that celebrates West African culture with the use of bold illustration and beautiful bright prints. How perfect is the "miss you" card for lockdown#2?"
BREEZY TEE
Breezy Tee satin-lined knitted beanie, £35.80, Etsy
If you have curls - or even if you have straight hair tbh - you absolutely need one of Breezy Tee's luxe satin-lined beanie hats for winter. The silky lining means the comfy and warm beanies lock in moisture and protect your hair from damage, breakage and split ends. There are also t-shirt hair towels and satin-lined cap beanies up for grabs which maintain healthy hair.
KINGSLEY LEATHER
Kingsley leather key ring, £19.50, Etsy
Self-taught craftsman Kingsley Thompson opened his bespoke leather goods shop in 2013. He originally dove into the traditional craft of leatherwork when he decided to make himself a wallet and was inundated with requests from friends and family who recognised his talent. Kingsley creates his sleek range of handmade wallets, belts, keyrings, cufflinks, and wow – dapper leather ties - from his home workshop in Cheltenham, England.
ESTEEBANJ
Esteebanj Breathable face mask with nose wire, starting at £7.99 each, Etsy
Want a fab face mask from a great black-owned brand? London-based Etsy shop Esteebanj has so many pretty designs, including everything sparkly, floral, leopard print, African motifs to plain linen. You can also choose how many layers you want and if you want a filter, and there are 3D face mask designs that are perfect for glasses wearers.
ONALOO
Baby gift band set, £13, Etsy
African Heritage Doll, £44, Etsy
Onaloo make stunning African print clothing for babies, toddlers and kids. Their gorgeous baby headbands are Etsy bestsellers, and it’s easy to see why. Their sweet African Heritage dolls made the finals of the Etsy Design awards - but hurry if you want to grab one, they're selling fast!
Black-owned beauty brands to support on Black Pound Day
From major players like Rihanna's Fenty Beauty to small organic start ups, check out the best Black-owned beauty brands you can shop online now.
FENTY BEAUTY
Diamond bomb all-over diamond veil, £29.39, Fenty Beauty
Robyn Rihanna Fenty's love affair with makeup dates back to her days as a little girl in Barbados transfixed by her mother's lipstick. The first time she experienced makeup for herself, she never looked back. After her rise to fame, Rihanna was inspired to create Fenty Beauty after seeing a void in the industry for products that performed across all skin types and tones.
SIGNATURE BY DIONNE SMITH
Signature hair straighteners, £80, Signature by Dionne Smith
Signature 2-in1 straighteners have been created for all hair types, including natural hair textures, by celebrity hairdresser and award-winning expert, Dionne Smith. They are available in mini, midi, and maxi and for an extra £10 you can get a roll up heat protection mat to rest them on. She also does a great range of hair extensions too.
EDEN BODYWORKS
Natural deep hair conditioner, £13.19, Amazon
The woman behind Eden Bodyworks, Jasmin Lawrence, began her beauty journey aged 11. Finding nothing suitable on the market, she took to her kitchen to find a remedy for to nurture her damaged hair back to health and just two years later, she founded her company. Now, 16 years later, her beauty empire Eden bodyworks delivers a range of amazing hair and body products which are free from sulphates, parabens, Petroleum and artificial dyes.
ANITA GRANT
Neroli rose dry oil spray, £20.40, Anita Grant
Anita Grant started out experimenting with natural products in her kitchen in 2005. Today her award-winning range of natural and organic products includes everything from luscious body and face oils and hair care products. All are cruelty-free, handmade, fresh, to order in the UK and made with ingredients she sources directly from fair trade farming communities.
Black-owned fashion brands to shop on Black Pound Day
You can find some seriously chic Black owned fashion brands everywhere from Etsy to the runways... including some Meghan Markle favourites.
WALES BONNER
Wales Bonner x Adidas logo T-shirt, was £90 Now £27, SSENSE
Saint Ann striped-cuff knitted T-shirt, £295, Matches
When the Duchess of Sussex introduced baby Archie Harrison in 2019, she wore a very special look for her little boy's big debut – a belted trench dress that was the work of designer and artist Grace Wales Bonner. The designer's eponymous brand Wales Bonner is available from a number of retailers, including Matches, SSENSE and Net-a-porter, and she even has a cool sportswear collab with Adidas.
Victor Glemaud
Victor Glemaud purple and red colourblock tank top, £290, SSENSE
Duchess Meghan revealed another one of her favourite designers in a video interview from her Los Angeles home in autumn 2020, wearing a daring cut-out look by Victor Glemaud. Meghan's top is sold out but you can still pick up other pieces from the same collection at SSENSE.
TELFAR
Telfar high top converse, £164, Farfetch
Telfar Clemens has been designing genderless clothing since 2005 and his motto of "it’s not just for you – it's for everyone", is the driving force behind his trendy range of off-kilter basics, deconstructed denim and shopping bags.
RELATED: The stars sharing important messages to support the Black Lives Matter movement
CULTUREVILLE
Ana crop top and skater skirt co-ord set, £89.98, Cultureville
Nigerian sisters Ronke and Adeola Jane left their high powered jobs in law and IT and launched Cultureville to share the beauty of African print with the world. Their stunning collection of clothes and accessories – which include gorgeous headbands, wraps, fans and masks – cater for men, women, and kids. The duo source their prints directly from West Africa, where they work with local suppliers, tailors and artisans.
NUBIAN SKIN
Nubian skin Coocooa nude bralette, £27, ASOS
We all need a piece of skin-toned underwear in our wardrobe, but until recently it was impossible to find designs that matched any skin tone apart from peach. Nubian Skin founder Ade Hassan set out to change this and the result is a range of carefully edited lingerie for women of colour.
KEMI TELFORD
KT blue swirls drawstring tiered dress, £165, Kemi Telford
SHOP NOW
Nigeria-born Kemi Telford arrived in Britain in 1996 and studied law and worked as a credit risk analyst before giving up her career when her first daughter was born in 2007 to become a stay-at-home mum. A journey of self-discovery over the next seven years led her to realise she wanted to make a reality of her childhood dream - of owning a shop from which she could sell beautiful clothes to women. Her colourful designs - which include skirts, dresses and wide leg trousers - have Nigerian influences with a western twist. Says Kemi: " They are more than just stylish clothes; they are loud, bold and tell the whole world, 'Look at me, I am fabulous.'." We 100 percent agree!
HOUSE OF BLOOM
Sarah Emerald dress, £75.86, House of Bloom
New York-born, North Carolina based mom-of-seven Nia Brown launched House of Bloom in September - after the pandemic led her to do some deep thinking at home. She decided that the time was right to fulfill her childhood wish of owning a fashion label, and with a "now or never" attitude, she brought her dream to life. House of Bloom is the result, and the brand ships their range of gorgeous dresses, show-stopping skirts and flattering jumpsuits to women around the globe.
ANYA LUST
Eleanor silk lilac kimono, £421.35, Anya Lust
Anya Lust offers what just may be the ultimate online lingerie shopping experience with a beautiful range of lingerie, robes and pyjamas. They even offer online sensual classes for the more daring clients.
TOVE STUDIO
Ceres tie-detailed gathered cotton-poplin midi dress, £425, Net-A-Porter
London-based duo Camille Perry and Holly Wright worked together at Top Shop before deciding to branch out on their own, pooling their 15 years of fashion experience. Their range of timeless dresses and tops are extremely covetable indeed.
How can I further support Black Pound Day?
You can lend your support to Black Pound Day by shopping from black-owned businesses and brands, and recommending them to your friends and posting them on social media, tagging black-owned businesses and using the hashtag #BlackPoundDay. If you want to go the extra mile you can take part in the #BlackPoundDayChallenge by creating a video for your social channels explaining exactly how you’ll be supporting Black Pound Day.
And after you’ve made your purchases you can upload your receipt to the official website to help calculate the total spending power of Black Pound Day.
WATCH: Black Pound Day - what is it and how can you get involved?
HELLO!'s selection is editorial and independently chosen – we only feature items our editors love and approve of. HELLO! may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. To find out more visit our FAQ page.