Lifestyle

House of Aama is a culturally inspired lifestyle brand rooted in the ethos of the African continent and diaspora. The seed for House of Aama has been sowing for some time now and is just now manifesting in physical form due to the joint efforts of mother and daughter duo, Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka. Rebecca, the mother of the duo is an attorney in private practice by trade but artistically oriented in nature with sewing, quilting and art hobbies. Akua, the daughter of the duo is a student at Parsons The New School for Design in Manhattan, New York. Akua was exposed early in life to her mom and dad’s entrepreneurial enterprises, artistic leanings and culturally based lifestyle (Akua’s dad, Jamaiel Shabaka is an avant garde jazz musician and drummer). In 2013, Akua and Rebecca became so frustrated with their collective inability to find clothes resonating with their cultural and aesthetic interests that they began making their own clothes and modified vintage clothes in an effort to match their outer sartorial expression with their inner yearnings. Akua’s friends became interested in her clothes and in response the duo began making simple items for sale, such as culturally adorned cut off shorts and t-shirts with African fabric sleeves. The mother and daughter team realized that a niche market existed for modern, contemporary cultural wares and thus House of Aama was founded. Soon thereafter, the duo began experimenting with original designs reflective of their individual and collective cultural influences. This experimentation led to the birth of the youth oriented Urban Nomad capsule collection. Urban Nomad was geared toward the modern savvy youth consumer who wished to identify with an African ethos and express this interest in clothing and life style choices. In keeping with this Afrian ethos, fabric and motif selections for the Urban Nomad collection drew from West African Ashanti, Ghanaian Kente Cloth and Adinkra symbols and East African Maasai, Kenyan tartan plaid fabrics. In 2015, House of Aama partnered with Senegalese artist , Bassirou Seck. Rebecca and Akua were motivated by a desire to form a relationship with African Artisans in the development of House of Aama products and also to provide a commercial platform for African wares. The collaborative project consisted of Unisex Men and Women’s shirts, pants and traditional woven Senegalese baskets. A portion of the proceeds were shared with the Senegalese Artist. House of Aama is committed to continue its partnership with Mr. Seck and forging additional symbiotic commercial relationship with African artisans. House of Aama is currently debuting their rebranded adult AW’17 collection, "BLOODROOT". “BLOOD ROOT is a rare herb used by old-time conjures and root workers as a powerful Guardian for the Family. House of Aama’s AW’17 BLOODROOT collection is an ode to Southern Creole spiritually and African Roots. Hidden in plain sight, these are the tales of a Rootworker, Southern Lady and Bluesman.” Our designs are reflective of the PostBellum Southern United States. We’re inspired by this earlier time period because we believe it’s tremendously significant and critical in black culture. This was a time when our ancestors had been emancipated from slavery and they were striving to claim their rightful place with forward determination and dignity. These designs are meant to convey a strong sense of self worth built on the retention of strong cultural traditions. Rebecca’s maternal grandmother used to give her bloodroot daily as a child as a medicinal tincture in Louisiana. As a child, she did not know what bloodroot was but later as an adult she learned that bloodroot is a rootsworker herb and that her family has a rootsworker legacy. Our creative direction is drawn from the Southern experiences of Southern Parlor ladies, Conjurer women and blues men and their intersections. We hope that Bloodroot conveys to people of color the strength and resilience of the experience of African people in the Southern United States and that this strength and resilience can be conveyed in a sartorial artistic medium. Our collection, Bloodroot is an offering.

Black Pepper Paperie Co. is a Washington, DC-based mix-media art + design studio and lifestyle brand. BPPCo. focuses on creating globally-inspired, one-of-a-kind handcrafted pieces that include wearable ceramic art, home decor, paper goods, and apparel. These ancestral modern pieces are rooted in memory and cultural influences from across the African diaspora. Hadiya Williams is a designer/maker and native of Washington, DC. Her work has recently been featured on digital and print publications including Okay Africa, Washingtonian, Aphrochic, Curbed, and Travel + Leisure. With over 15 years experience in graphic design, Hadiya’s aesthetic is a combination of ancient West African art, modern western design, and ancestral memory. When she isn’t designing or making, you can find her listening to podcasts or searching for hidden treasures.

Ilé Ilà (translated "House of Lines") was started by Tosin Oshinowo in 2017 to celebrate her native Yoruba culture. It is a lifestyle furniture-line designed and hand-made in Lagos, Nigeria. We design period-conscious furniture with a contemporary African content, hand-made with love, in Lagos Nigeria. Tosin Oshinowo, an Architect behind the design and execution of the Maryland Mall has a natural affinity towards product design. She is particularly interested in the functionality of chairs, but also placing them in a Nigerian-African context. Ironically, her aesthetic for Architecture is minimalist using mute colours, however, her expression with the chairs is a bright explosion of colour. Her interest in West African Fabrics and Hard Woods has formed the basis in the expression of this identity. In particular, the collage of Asò Oké encapsulating history into upholstery is what makes this furniture-line exciting and different. Cultural Identity is paramount, at ilé-Ilà, each chair is named based on its aesthetic . Àràbà - aged tree, Òkín - the majestic peacock or Alààfíà - peace on this house, each chair is a proud celebration. As we formally launch the furniture-line, we are very honoured that Adekunle Gold, who is a pioneer in celebrating 'African culture' in an 'Urban context' is our Muse, collectively showing what can be achieved with the diversity of our design aesthetic and celebration of culture.

JAS IT UP is more than just your typical apparel company. We are an American owned and manufactured sustainable lifestyle brand. We strive to encompass all aspects of sustainability to create wonderful, long-lasting products that challenge the current narrative of the fashion industry, and bring to light the dire need to protect our environment. Our mission is to educate and inspire people to lead an eco-conscious lifestyle in an effort to uplift our communities, empower our youth, and protect our future on this planet. THE REVOLUTION. The fashion industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and one of the most influential industry's in the world. It is also the second largest polluting industry behind oil. It’s currently estimated that 80% of clothing produced ends up incinerated or in landfills. We're doing our part to challenge the current standards of the fashion industry by adopting the 3 main pillars of sustainable development and creating ethically produced, long lasting products that inspire people to lead eco-conscious lives. We believe we each have a responsibility to leave the world in a better place for future generations. It’s time to take a stand for our future. It’s time to Revolutionize The Game. It’s time to Jas It Up!

Harambee Wellness transforms health by cultivating a community of people collectively pulling together to encourage and support one another their personal wellness journey. We provide built-in accountability that helps you to achieve your goals. No matter where you start, the Harambee Tribe encourages, motivates, supports one another. That's the culture of Harambee Wellness.

Bliss Boxes Co. is owned by Secoya Holmes under the Bliss Consults & Co. brand. Our company was founded to provide women and specially female entrepreneurs with the self care essentials needed to ensure they’re taking care of themselves. As we’ve expanded our products, we’re still committed to self care and love. Featuring exclusively black owned brands sets us apart from the many subscription box company.

Satin Kiss helps people lead healthy, happy sex lives! We provide a curated selection of body-safe sexual health and pleasure products, 1-on-1 and couples' consulting, workshops, fun and educational toy parties. Virtual sessions and parties now available! BIPOC are central to the mission, but all ethnicities, genders, and sexual identities are welcome! Satin Kiss is also certified as a Community Sexual Health Resource by the Center for Sexual Pleasure and Health in Providence, RI.

Here at Dinka we combine a mixture of African and American Designs to make beautiful And high quality Clothing and Apparel.what makes us different is we take pride in our self's and our history .

Cassandra Hill is a patient turned powerhouse who travels the world administering the knowledge and treatment of holistic health. After being diagnosed with Systemic Lupus and other autoimmune conditions in 2014, Hill gained the determination to overcome the illness in her body. Already an affluent professional with a Master’s degree in Gerontology and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, this illness would make her a student; yet again. Her frustration with being sick, motivated Cassandra to fight back driving her to take courses on Health and Wellness; carefully applying the knowledge to her life in order to combat illness. In mere months, her health was transformed completely, creating miraculous responses in her blood work and overall well-being. The knowledge acquired by Cassandra Hill has revolutionized her health, she has lived in remission from systemic lupus for a continuation of four years with no evidence of its return. Today, Cassandra Hill is certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner and Wellness Coach. She is a firm believer that our life’s lessons are designed for us to learn and teach others. She humbly confesses that “No one should suffer from bad health”. Her passion is to see clients who may suffer from autoimmune disease, emotional trauma, and any other chronic health condition experience alleviation, and quite possibly, total remission. It is her life’s calling to see her clients value their overall health and become their best selves. Cassandra can fully attest that living healthy has changed her life and she wants to change your life too with Holistic Living Consulting. Holistic Living Consulting offers an unique experience because Cassandra knows what bad health can do and wants people to have wellness. Start your wellness journey today!

Jiyū means FREEDOM in Japanese. The collections draw from a style that is one part comfy, layered and sporty and the other part ultra cosmic and feminine. We offer a premium boho brand mix that transcends trend. The pieces remain forward and timeless. The antithesis to the “fast fashion” movement, we believe in a long-term wardrobe that grows with quality choice pieces.