Last week, George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minnesota. There’s been an outpouring of supportive messages for #blacklivesmatter and justice for George Floyd on social media. It’s not just about George Floyd: it’s about Atatiana Jefferson, Ahmaud Arbery, Aiyana Jones, Mike Brown, and so many others who came before him. We must end systematic racism, both conscious and unconscious.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the weekend reflecting how I can do better personally and how we can do better as a business. We must open our minds to the reality of racism faced by many across America and aim to become anti-racist in both thought and action. We need to teach our children, we need to have tough conversations with family and friends, we need to support black owned businesses, we need to vote, we need to donate to organizations that support what is happening in Minnesota and beyond, and we need to do better. When the social media exposure slows, it will matter just as much if not more, how we proceed from here. We must stand up to what’s wrong, speak up, and take action to promote equality and tolerance on every level. Most importantly, we must listen and be allies. We should listen not to fix, but listen to learn.
I always strive to be inclusive on our site, but I know we can do better in our coverage. I will do a better job about including Black owned and other minority owned bag brands, while also featuring more people of color in our editorials. Aurora James, founder of Brother Vellies, shared her thoughts on how we can do better: support Black owned businesses by buying product from them. The Black community makes up 15% of the population and her call to action is to give Black owned businesses 15% of shelf space at retailers. While we aren’t a retailer, we do introduce you to brands to shop, and while there is much more to be done on micro and macro levels, it’s important to make changes now.
Aside from donating monetarily, one way I feel can help right now is spotlighting Black owned handbag brands on our platform. We will continue to feature other Black owned and minority owned handbag brands on a regular basis.
If you want to deepen your anti-racism work, here is a comprehensive document with resources on books for kids, podcasts, articles, videos and more.
Brother Vellies
Shop all designs here
In 2013, Aurora James founded Brother Vellies with the goal of utilizing traditional African design practices and techniques while also creating and sustaining artisanal jobs. My favorite bag is the newest member of the Brother Vellies handbag family, the Nile in Mint, which features embossed leather and a wooden hand-carved logo handle from Kenya.
VAVVOUNE
Shop all bags here
Founded by self taught designer and artisan Valerie Blaise in Brooklyn, New York. VAVVOUNE bags are sleek, with my favorite, the Riya, featuring one curved side while the other has straight lines.
Brandon Blackwood
Check out his designs here
Growing up in both New York and Tokyo, Brandon Blackwood released his namesake label in Spring 2015 with a 4 piece collection of bags which immediately garnered accolades from major publications. Quite a few bags are sold out on his site, but I really like his Sophia Shoulder Bag which is made of burnt suede, a practice created by Blackwood.
Yvonne Koné
Shop her designs here
Yvonne Koné created her namesake label in 2011 and is one of Denmark’s preeminent designers. Her line exudes an effortless style that upholds story and heritage with a dynamic cultural background. Her Large Filippo Bag is beautiful and great for daily use, plus it’s crafted from leftover leather.
ASHYA
Shop here
Founded in 2017 by co-founders Ashley Cimone and Moya Annece, ASHYA is a New York–based label focusing on unisex travel accessories. The Palmetto Belt Bag is really cool, plus it’s hand-stitched and features custom 14K gold plated hardware.
AAKS
Shop all here
A A K S was founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi. Her goal was to introduce the world to her favorite weaving techniques done by the women of Ghana while also creating and igniting sustainable jobs within Africa. All bags are handcrafted in Ghana.
Agnes Baddoo
Shop her bags here
Agnes Baddoo is a designer and stylist, who focuses on investigating our ever-changing environment through fashion. Utilizing genuine craft and techniques, Baddoo creates well-made and classic leather goods.
T-MICHAEL
Shop here
While he doesn’t have a huge bag assortment, T-Michael does offer a handful of leathergoods in his line. As a bespoke tailor, designer, and artist, his conceptual approach to men’s tailoring inspired by his love of sartorial traditions, offers a very design-focused and creative collection.
Well done you guys ?. This is what advertising without coming off tone deaf is like.
Also, the bags in these pics are all so sumptuous and look so well made!
So glad you enjoyed the bags and post!
Longtime reader and have to comment that this is one of the best ways to use your platform to support a cause, while also remaining authentic (looking forward to shopping these brands)! As a black woman and purse fiend, I appreciate you being cognizant of current events and the experiences of some of your audience, but also tying in our shared appreciation for all things bag related. My dream is to one day purchase a Birkin and all I can think of is Oprah’s experience with the brand in 2005. I recount the disbelief of so many that racism and prejudice still colored everyday interactions for black people — even those who have achieved the pinnacle of prominence and wealth. I hope one day soon we humans find a way to care for and value one another equally, but I doubt that day will come in my lifetime. Stay safe, stay healthy and love bags!
I hope that day will come in your lifetime, and I will do what I can in my personal life and business life to help get there on a micro level. I am here to listen, to support, and to use my platform to do better. Thank you for following and reading!
Mega – you’re doing what you can in the space you can. We all can and should do the same. ??
Love the Brandon Blackwood Kendrick trunk – unfortunately all sold out! Brandon Blackwood please restock because would love to purchase!
I’m going to reach out to the brands above to see how we can showcase more of their designs! I’ll see if I can find out when Brandon Blackwood is going to restock 🙂
Love what you’re doing to showcase black designers – and these are beautiful bags!
What a perfect post for such a difficult time. Thank you PB for using your voice to share these amazing designers. I have been wanting to purchase a new bag for a while, but nothing has really spoke to me recently…same old, same old. Now I am very interested in an AAKS bag. So beautiful and perfect for summer!
Happy to hear that! I am going to reach out to each brand to cover them in a more in depth way!
appreciate this post, Megs. i hadn’t heard of any of these brands before. don’t stop, keep it up.
I will continue to spotlight new brands from Black-owned businesses as well as other minority owned businesses as well!
Check out Ree Projects!
Covered in my second post!
So in love with her bags!! Thanks Megs!
Thanks for this ……I’ve forwarded to several handbag loving friends who have asked how they can be allies and show support …love love love Brandon Blackwood and Yvonne Kone offerings added to my wishlist
Happy to hear you like the bags I found! We are a teeny tiny small slice of the internet, but this is a way we can be supportive in where we spend our money and make a conscious effort.
Thank you!
It’s nice to see this selection by such creative, talented artists, but in all honesty it is long overdue.
Yup way too little and too late. But honestly and sadly not surprised.
I absolutely agree. I could have, and should have, done better.
The responsibility for change belongs to everyone. We can all “do better”, not just you, or me, but everyone, everywhere. I feel my message came across as burdening you with that responsibility and it wasn’t my intent. I understand what you were conveying by posting this article. Thank you for your important contribution!
I didn’t take it that way at all! I think you should ask and expect more from the businesses (including us) that you follow. It starts at home, and that is something that we make a priority and continue to learn and listen ourselves for our kids. But we have a platform here, this tiny little slice of bag loving internet, and we will do what we can as a site to make changes, be more inclusive, and promote Black-owned and minority owned back businesses.
Thank you for this! I’m a long time reader and I’m very impressed. ??
This is awesome! Please find consistent ways to incorporate brands like these into your regular postings as well.
I will, this won’t be a one time thing.
I LOVE this! I appreciate this. ??
On topic/ off topic – it might be really fun to showcase various minority accessories designers/ business owners in terms of their stories, what led them to create, how they approach their design and maybe some of the obstacles they’ve overcome in achieving. We all know the “big names” but there are NUMEROUS “up-and-comers” amongst the ranks, some independent, some working behind the scenes for larger fashion houses. I love to make a personal connection to the people who are a part of and the stories behind the items I buy, as I feel more connected and enthusiastic about supporting brands with an added element of humanity. So much of what I buy just feels like there are ghosts behind it, vapid.
Absolutely and I am planning to do so. I am reaching out to the brands I featured above to see if we can feature not only their products but also ask them some questions about their business.
Can’t wait!
Never seen these before. They are great.
Just received my bag a week ago and LOVE IT…
Which bag did you buy?!
I’ve been a longtimeeeee reader (since 5th grade and I just graduated college!), and no article has touched me like this one. As a black women interested in fashion, sometimes I get very down about fashion’s treatment of POC, but articles like this show me that slowly, but surely, the prevailing attitude is changing. Hope you and your family have a great day and stay safe!
One of the reasons I’ve loved handbags is because of how inclusive they are as far as anyone can carry a bag, no matter their size. However, we need to do a better job being inclusive in our coverage of Black-owned bag brands as well as people we feature. We will do better.
I am so happy to have you here for this long, thank you <3
Thank you for posting. These are some gorgeous bags!
I discovered Agnes Baddoo when she was a vender at the Echo Park Craft Fair a few years ago and I bought one of her bags- I can attest to their quality and craftsmanship!
So happy to hear that! Her bags look really well made and great for daily carrying
The Kone look interesting
I think so too, really hoping to see more in person to share with you!
Thank you for sharing this, Megs. This truly is one of the best articles you have ever had on the site. I just bought a beautiful key holder from Agnes Baddoo.
So happy to hear you made a purchase!
These are beautiful bags!! Thanks for posting Megs!!
<3
Please also check out http://www.oneofeach.co.za , we are based in Cape Town, South Africa available worldwide ???
This article makes my heart so happy! Thank you ?.
Love this! Thanks and keep it upl
This is great! Please also don’t shy away from calling out social injustices or funding of social injustice by other prominent brands when speaking about their products. It doesn’t have to be like “don’t buy this because of that” but still adding the information so everyone can make their own decisions and be educated.
I think right now everyone is watching what’s happening with the big brands. Many have stepped up, but it needs to happen from the top down and a corporate level!
Megs!!! I just responded privately by email, but THANK YOU for this. As a subscriber to this community and a Black & Latina woman, (and a purse addict) you have no idea how this touched me. We women of color get left behind in so many areas. And in a time where companies are making pandering statements and trying to placate the masses, I thank you for showcasing women of color. Please continue to make it a regular thing. There is so much beauty out there. We all come in different colors, backgrounds, shapes and flavors. Our love of purses should be all inclusive.
Your post and newsletter statement has made me recommend Purseblog to my friends. Keep up the good work. And as a community, we should all be passing along undiscovered talent when we stumble across it. Thank you for being an ally.
And to my sisters, let’s keep the momentum going! Much love to you all.
Adrienne
We got your email! I absolutely agree and I will make it a priority for our business to be sure that we are looking at the “who” behind the bags!
As I said, we all (and Vlad and I and then PurseBlog as a business) can be part of the change no matter how small. All the small steps lead to large action!
Thanks for being part of the change. It means a lot to me!
Great idea this thread.Brother Vellies, the Nile line, struck me with its originality yet classic design incorporation.. On the site, there is a paucity of information, to include dimensions and interior views of the bag. (I suspect I would not fit in that bag, for example.) That’s my observation. My opinion bias regards the products/companies in which we own shares of stock. My preference is bags I can hide my bones and myself in.. – Little Lucy ? “Everything is interwoven, and the web is holy.” ~ Marcus Aurelius
Great bags! Thank you for doing this. I now want the VAVVOUNE RIYA SHOULDER BAG IN DEEP OLIVE
So may people eying her bags!
Thank you Megs, for a beautifully written blog and for introducing me to new designers. LOVE this a lot.
Thank you Megs! So proud of you guys.
Thank you!
Just purchased the Vavvoune Sunsa bag in black w white stitching. Absolutely gorgeous! Love their story and love supporting women entrepreneurs!!! Thank you!!
Please let me know how you like it – that bag is stunning!!
Another Black Latina here that is a designer bag stalker and I absolutely love, love, LOVE this blog post! It’s been a long time coming and I am looking forward to making a purchase as soon as I can make up my mind which one I plan to buy. Thank you, Megs.
So happy to hear that – do let us know what you decide on!
This was a perfect post! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! And thanks for the spotlight on Yvonne Kone bc I am DEF buying that Filippo bag!!
Isn’t that bag stunning?! I am going to see if I can get my hands on a sample to share further!
This article is simply beautiful and touching. Echoing what other commenters have said. Thanks Meg and the Purse Blog team.
These are beautiful. Especially Love the ones of Yvonne Koné and T Michael.
It’s these type of brands that I go on this site in search of. Please feature more stuff like this.
Gorgeous and stylish.
We definitely will!
Thank you so much for this Megs. As a long time purseblog supporter, it’s refreshing to see that this site supports women like me. There’s a long road ahead but with awareness and deliberate actions like supporting black businesses, we will get there.
So happy I can have a slight impact in helping make the needed changes. We should have done it sooner, but it will be a focus moving forward! I support you, I’m here to learn and listen.
Could regular feature be presented on new and upcoming designers? The bags were beautiful, I would love to see more.
Yes, it totally will! I am always browsing instagram, which seems to be the best way to discover new brands at this time, so I am bookmarking brands that I find!
Thanks you Meg!!! I love these bags especially Agnes Baddou and Yvonne kone. I want to get!!!
Also I am japanese and live in Tokyo, I am so glad to Brandon Blackwood once lived in here.
I absolutely ADORE my Brother Vellies Curly Goat bag and always get compliments on it. Aurora James has a cool story and she inspired me to shop her line?
She is the woman behind the 15 percent pledge! She is really inspiring!
Aww i wanted to see some Telfar!!! Its very popular on IG and ive seen some women on the train carrying them to work, its gorgeous. Love this list tho 🙂 Please keep doing these <3 means alot
Telfar is in my second roundup! I am having a hard time finding much stock anywhere of their bags, so highly sought after!
Pls just stop with the performance. Thanks!
Performance? What do you mean by your comment?
Virtue signalling
Do you think you might be presumptuous in your assumption that people are being disingenuous by their comments? Maybe, that’s on you.
So we are buying bags based on the skin colour of the designer rather than the merit of the bag?
Hope you are featuring yellow, red, white, and green designers next.
why does supporting black owned businesses bother you so much? i think that’s very telling of your morals.
They are featuring both. Why is that so troubling for you? You are showing yourself to be a prejudiced, bigoted racist, but you must already know that. Right, Susan?
Thank you!