Looking to refresh your work style for summer? Check out these Latino-owned brands before your next in-office day!
Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. Latinx-owned small businesses for your summer wardrobe? A BIG jefa move! As the seasons shift and style trends come and go, supporting small businesses and building your comunidad of handcrafted brands never goes out of style. Especially when the Return To Office (RTO) is a moment to collaborate with coworkers and show off your best corporate fits.
Here are some brands you can turn to as you get ready para un verano in the office:
Jewelry: blobb
While black, beige, and brown are always “in” at work, a little pop of color—or a lot—never hurt anybody. Mexican-born artist Sofia Elias, the brand’s founder, experiments with different materials, crafting rings with resin and gems by hand. On her site, you’ll find a variety of shapes, styles, and shades to add to your jewelry box, not to mention her other artistic ventures!
Clothing: REBDOLLS
Prints are in—and cheetah is a timeless pattern that everyone (yes, even YOU!) looks great in! If you’re ready to step it up from the nice top and jeans/blouse office combo, Grisel Paula’s clothing line is for you. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she moved to NYC at age 10 and has been on her way to becoming a fashionista since. “It was here that I got the opportunity to model plus-size fashion for big-name brands, and I remember thinking: why are the options in plus sizes less fashionable than the styles are available in missy sizes,” she explains on the brand’s website. From there, she’s worked to create a size-inclusive shopping experience para cada mujer.
Purses: Soraya Hennessy
We’re getting the bag this summer—literally—with this 100% handmade, Latina-owned brand. Created with fair trade principles in South America, “each bag sold by SORAYA HENNESSY works towards advancing the economic rights of Wayuu women, empowering them to become entrepreneurs themselves, and encouraging innovation, education, and training for them and their families.” On Soraya Hennessy’s website, you can learn about each bag weaver’s history and background and put a name to the face of sustainable fashion.
Shoes: Flor De Maria Designs
A word to the wise: wear your sneakers or flats to the office and then switch to your nice “sitting shoes” at your desk. It’s an especially good piece of advice if you’re buying a pair from Flor De Maria, which celebs like Kendall Jenner have been seen styled in. The Peruvian-born designer, Flor de Maria Rivera, has her hand in every step of the creation process: “All details are important to me because I want to ensure that each pair of Flor de Maria shoes elevates my clients’ style and amplifies her personality,” she says. “I want to make her feel radiant and determined.”
Come next month, you can be stepping into the office exuding Latina business—and buying—power from head to toe. End up buying some pieces from this lineup? Let us know how you styled them by tagging us on social!
