back to school 🍎
graphic by ella bailey
This coming school year is going to look completely different for everyone. Whether you’re studying at home or on campus somewhere, I wanted to find some fun items to treat yourself with! Here’s a list of small businesses that are BIPOC owned and/or have a focus on sustainability <3
Some helpful markers :
The Almu Store
A black-owned business with curated vintage! They have really great pricing on items and a blog about environmentalism and ways to be more sustainable in your daily life. Great for some new fall style :)
Whimsy & Row
Don’t forget your face mask! This company has cloth masks ranging from $10 - 28. They donate one mask for every one purchased. They also recycle all their fabric scraps, use 100% recycled shipping materials, and only use recycled water (treated/disinfected wastewater).
https://whimsyandrow.com/collections/masks
The Girlfriend Collective
Run by Quang and Ellie Dinh, The Girlfriend Collective sells made-to-last, sustainable activewear. They incorporate recycled bottles, fishing nets, and cotton industry fiber waste into their clothing (there’s a ton more information here: https://www.girlfriend.com/pages/about).
Cheyenne Barton
Cheyenne Barton’s shop is a perfect pitstop for cute stationery and stickers! She’s an illustrator / YouTuber based in Seattle, and her style is very cottagecore and witchy. She also makes all her packaging either recyclable or compostable and is transparent about packing materials on her website!
Minnie Small
Minnie Small is an illustrator and YouTuber based in London with a really cute shop! She mostly sells botanical notebooks and prints. I also love watching her videos when I’m stressed; her voice and editing style is super calming.
https://www.semiskimmedmin.com/
Cloth & Paper
Cloth & Paper is a minimalist stationery company based in Richmond, Virginia. They have tons of options for different planners and pens, plus a subscription service with new boxes each month!
Call Number
Run by Jamillah Gabriel, the Call Number subscription service sends black literature to your doorstep! You can sign up for either fiction or nonfiction, and each box comes with a book plus a couple other goodies and organizational book labels. There’s also a gift shop on the website, where you can purchase past boxes if you want to try out the service.
https://call-number.cratejoy.com/
Planting With P
Get a new houseplant friend for the new year! Planting With P is similar to The Sill as a plant mailing service. They have a ton of really great options, from tiny succulents to big monsteras at a fairly affordable price (plus the cost for shipping).
https://www.plantingwithp.com/
Lists to browse further :
https://www.buyfromablackwomandirectory.org/directory
https://www.younghouselove.com/200-black-owned-businesses/