3 Inspiring Afro-Latina-Owned Brands You Need To Know About

During Women’s History Month, we’re all about highlighting Femme excellence in all of its forms. That means taking some time to highlight three of the most inspiring Afro-Latina-owned brands that you should have on your radar. From reclaiming Afro-Latinidad, to rewriting the history of Cuban cigars and sustainable, community-centric pet brands, there is something for everyone.

3 Afro-Latina-Owned Brands To Know

Yo Soy AfroLatina

Founded by a black woman, Yo Soy AfroLatina was created to empower and celebrate Black women within the Latinx community. Bianca Kathryn started Yo Soy AfroLatina as a way to speak to her own journey to claiming her Mexican identity. After spending time on Mexican land, widening her understanding of the ever-expanding Black Diaspora, and moving to NYC, Kathryn fell deeper in love with what it meant to be Afro-Latina.

Kathryn was passionate about creating safe spaces and online communities to navigate intersectional identity. Her brand is one that genuinely celebrates variety. In the short span of five years, this Afro-Latina-owned company has helped massively spotlight Afro-Latinx culture. Offering mugs, phone accessories, clothing, and even a silk scarf (for the culture, of course), there are dope items to help further flaunt the pride in being Afro-Latina. This is a brand that boldly and consistently makes space for Afro-Latinas to feel seen and affirms the community entirely.

Hey Cyrus!

Hey Cyrus! is a new Afro-Latina-owned sustainable pet brand. In short, Hey Cyrus! co-creates pet accessories in partnership with artisans from the Global South, using eco-friendly materials.

While living in Chiapas, México, Colombian-American owner and creative director, Ibérica Rivera, was inspired by indigenous Mayan people’s art and culture. This eventually led to her purpose-driven pet brand. It’s aligned with the values of regeneration, ethical production, and fair trade. The brand stands for stylishly resisting manufacturing standards and trends that promote cheaply made and mass-produced products. They actively fight against unethical labor and environmental practices. Rivera cut out “vegan” plastics (the industry alternative to plastic) while creating Hey Cyrus! Instead, she opted for artisanal products using items such as cactus nopal leather. The best part is, by working in this way, Hey Cyrus! helps to preserve indigenous people’s technical skills and artistic heritage.

Oh, and Cyrus the Great Rivera, an 8-year-old English Bulldog is the cute brand muse behind Hey Cyrus! Making pet parenthood socially and environmentally conscious in plant-based splendor? We absolutely approve.

Tres Lindas Cubanas Cigars

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Yvonne and Yvette Rodriguez are the identical Afro-cuban twin sisters who grew up in South Miami Heights and founded Tres Lindas Cubanas Cigars. Donned as the very first woman-owned cigar company, they have contributed to huge amounts of pride within the Afro-Cuban and Afro-Latina communities.

Yvonne and Yvette established Tres Lindas in 2013. They grew up in the States around their cigar-smoking grandmother, Esperanza. The duo created the brand in honor of home. While paying homage to their home island 10 years ago, little did anyone know that the Rodriguez sisters would contribute so heavily to being a key part of Cuban legacy and culture. This Afro-Latina take on cigar production is revolutionizing an industry that white men typically dominate – and the duo don’t plan on stopping. The three blends — ‘La Clarita’, ‘La Mulatta’, and ‘La Negrita’ — are the finest Cuban-seed blends, cultivated in Nicaragua. The twins cite their grandmother as inspiration and endearingly refer to the cigars as “gifts left to us from our ancestors”. Besides the renowned cigars, Tres Lindas Cubanas Cigars also offers something for coffee lovers under Caribbean Queens Coffee.

The duo’s cigars and coffee can be purchased online. But if you’d like to experience the brand in person you can head down to their Miami store and light up in honor of awesome Afro-Latina women.

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