10 Black-Owned Brands on The Folklore to Shop at Retail Stores This Black History Month and Beyond

The Folklore is proud to support a vibrant community of brands founded by talented Black entrepreneurs, African designers and creatives from the diaspora. Across fashion, beauty and lifestyle, each brand contributes to a rich marketplace of diversity and inclusivity, with designs that celebrate cultural heritage, innovation and self-expression.

In 2022, The Folklore’s Connect platform launched with a mission to empower brands with access to technology, education, and community, propelling them to compete on a global scale. Fast forward to today, and the platform is part of a thriving system where renowned retailers connect with diverse brands, championing inclusivity and innovation in the wholesale retail marketplace.

Over the past few years, many retailers and enterprise groups made a commitment to address marketplace equity by devoting shelf space at their stores specifically for Black-owned brands and diverse designers. In this landscape, The Folklore has emerged as a tool for inclusivity and opportunity, helping to celebrate the diversity of emerging brands and fostering transformative retail partnerships.

From running an annual Black Business Month program to creating pop-up markets that highlight local Black businesses, Nordstrom has also increased its in-store offering of Black-owned brands, many of which were discovered and sourced directly from The Folklore platform. Retailers including Shopbop.com, REVOLVE and Bergdorf Goodman have followed suit, helping emerging brands make inroads into retail and reach a wider audience.

“The Folklore allows incredible buying teams to connect with even more diverse brands from around the world and give customers an experience to shop fantastic brands they could not easily access online or in stores,” says Amira Rasool, founder and CEO of The Folklore.

As we celebrate Black History Month, the triumphs of these brands serve as a testament to the power of community, collaboration, and inclusivity in shaping the future of retail. Below, get to know 10 of our wholesale brands that have successfully joined the lineup of Black-owned brands available at US-based retailers and where to shop them right now (and beyond).

ISRAELLA KOBLA

  

Using founder and creative director Emefa Kaudey’s background as an engineer, ISRAELLA KOBLA pieces reflect an appreciation for architecture, craftsmanship and classic design. The British-Ghanaian designer, who is based in Canada, aims to create timeless, feminine pieces that appeal to the modern woman. Her minimalist and structured aesthetic produces an artistic vision that results in dresses with tiered silhouettes, geometric cut-out details and clean lines. Taking a slow approach to fashion, the brand produces all its pieces in small batches in its Toronto studio or with local sewing partners.

Shop ISRAELLA KOBLA at: Nordstrom

ORÍRÉ

  

Lagos-based womenswear brand Oríré burst onto the scene in 2021 and immediately distinguished itself as a key player to contend with in the burgeoning Nigerian fashion industry. The inspiration for the brand’s designs span the natural world to the personal experiences of its founder and creative director Orire Aleshinloye, while its production relies on local craft and artisanal skills. Oríré pieces are distinctive for their creative silhouettes, tactile textures and unexpected details, which range from tiered ruffled dresses to voluminous jumpsuits and tie-dyed separates. 

Shop Oríré at: Shopbop  |  Rent the Runway  |  Nordstrom  |  FRTWN

RENDOLL

  

After training as a lawyer, entrepreneur Reni Abina decided to pursue her passion and founded her own fashion brand Rendoll in 2019 as a self-taught designer. The Lagos-based brand draws its inspiration from confident and daring women, reflecting their spirit in bold prints and bright colors. With considered designs that exist at the intersection of luxury and affordability, each Rendoll piece is created for women of all shapes and sizes. The brand’s visual code is defined by kaleidoscopic prints and plissé fabrics rendered in dresses and coordinating sets in bold, statement colors. Rendoll sources its materials from suppliers around the world, with an emphasis on fair pay for gifted artisans.

Shop Rendoll at: Nuuly

FLORIAN LONDON

  

Helmed by its British-Nigerian founder Tola Adeagbo, Florian London is a UK-based accessories brand offering high-quality handbags and small leather goods for the modern woman. Crafted by hand, in a third-generation family-owned atelier in Europe, each collection from Florian London is made in limited runs for distinct, statement pieces that are designed to last from season to season. The designs employ lustrous colors, vivid prints and unusual shapes for pieces that combine style, functionality and innovative construction.

Shop Florian London at: Shopbop

V.BELLAN

  

One of Vanessa Bellan’s earliest memories as a young girl is making her own jewelry, some of which she sold at family yard sales growing up in Massachusetts. Today, the Haitian-American designer has successfully scaled up her childhood business into a thriving jewelry brand that is now stocked at multiple retail stores. From signet rings and pearl-drop earrings to its signature paperclip chains, V.BELLAN jewelry is designed to be an everyday item that accompanies the wearer through life. Each piece is crafted by hand using gold, brass or sterling silver, for a refined yet edgy look.

Shop V.BELLAN at: Bergdorf Goodman  |  Shopbop  |  REVOLVE  |  FRTWN

TERRA-TORY

  

Beauty brand TERRA-TORY was founded in 2019 by Kimberly Waldropt, who taps into her Jamaican and Trinidadian roots, and personal experiences with skin conditions to create effective, plant-based skincare. TERRA-TORY believes in harnessing the power of food and nature to improve skin health, with a mission to set new standards for the mentality and approach to personal care. The brand creates products derived from superfoods, handcrafted from high-quality ingredients found in nature, such as avocado, papaya and cactus. Made for daily use, TERRA-TORY products are designed to nourish, cleanse, soothe and protect, especially for those challenged with sensitive skin. 

Shop TERRA-TORY at: Free People

BÔHTEN

  

The brainchild of brothers Nana Boateng Osei and Nana Kwadwo Osei, eyewear brand Bôhten is built on safe eye care, sustainable design and social entrepreneurship. The brand’s range of optical frames and sunglasses draws on the founders’ love of nature and their African heritage. They protect from harmful rays and pollution while remaining fashion-forward and stylish. The brand also supports environmental sustainability by carefully handcrafting and assembling its frames with sustainably harvested materials.

Shop Bôhten at: REVOLVE  |  Shopbop

SHEKUDO

  

Based in Nigeria, footwear and accessories brand Shekudo aims to shed light on local artisanal craft rendered in sourced locally raw materials including soft leather, wood, and traditional aso oke cloth. Helmed by creative director Akudo Iheakanwa, Shekudo has come to be known for its signature use of bold and eclectic colors and patterns that appear in its collections of woven mules, flat sandals and more, which showcase the craftsmanship of African artisans.

Shop Shekudo at: Shopbop  |  Nordstrom

SELFI

  

Founded by designer Celeste Arendse, this Cape Town-based brand brings sustainability to its forefront. The largely neutral color palette of SELFI’s garments creates elegantly timeless pieces that are made to last. Each collection is built on a minimalist aesthetic that plays with textures and silhouettes, which are brought to life with plant-based fibers such as linen, silk, hemp, ramie and wool. Designed with the modern woman in mind, SELFI’s pieces speak to the brand’s appreciation of the female form, providing a great deal of flexibility and comfort, without sacrificing style or quality.

Shop SELFI at: Nuuly

WISDOM

  

Taking its cues from streetwear fashion and contemporary art, Atlanta-based accessories brand Wisdom Fashion House creates bold and playful eyewear that explore surrealist and artistic shapes. Founded by illustrator and graphic designer Latif Rashad, Wisdom’s eyewear designs combine form and function in a whimsical way. The brand‘s sunglasses feature colorful acetate frames and chrome finishes that are as functional as they are unconventional.

Shop Wisdom at: REVOLVE  |  Nordstrom