10 Asian and Pacific Islander Owned Brands to Discover, Shop and Support this AAPI Heritage Month
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, as of February, 2021 there are 2 million Asian American Owned small businesses that employ over 3.5 million Americans. Since the COVID-19 pandemic Asian American owned small businesses have been impacted financially, and reports show a significant increase in hate crimes directed at Asian Americans. Although we've been an ally of Asian Owned small businesses long before 2020, we believe that it is especially important to spotlight Asian Owned brands now more than ever. We've curated this list below of drool-worthy Asian Owned brands that are so worth discovering, shopping, sipping and eating!
1. Mala the Brand is an Asian-Woman owned brand, ethically sourcing and handcrafting luxury candles. We love their dreamy branding, original scents and it's been a pleasure watching their small business disrupt the candle industry. Mala is not only online, you can shop IRL at many retailers internationally (#shedidthat). Shop at a Nordstrom's near you.
2. Sip luxury bagged wine made by an Asian-Woman Owned New York based brand, Mai Vino. Shop the finest Vegan Wines, crafted in an Airtight Bagnum that lasts up to 30 days. We love that Mai Vino preserves many of the traditional tenets in their process of sourcing and crafting wine while also reducing their carbon foot print. We got the pleasure of trying it IRL, at the Sip Shop Eat Spring IRL New York Pop-UP.
3. 5B Swim is Woman-Owned Swimwear and Athleisure brand co-founded by an Asian Woman. Each piece is hand-crafted with love in Brooklyn, New York! What we love about 5B Swim is how the Brand focuses on no-waste. Everything is used, we're talking, scraps, into scrunchies and masks. They recently launched their Vintage Summer collection and we're just trying not to buy the whole collection.
4. Mrs. Moon and heaven is an Asian-Owned brand owned by two sisters. Their collection includes the cutest scrunchies, crochet goods and trending stationary. The two sisters are extremely talented, friendly and their feed is absolutely entertaining. They also offer stationary services for other small businesses and their TikTok is a must follow.
5. Wild Rina is a Sip Shop Eat fave. No, seriously. We are subscribed to their email list and we've obsessed over every piece in their collection since February 2020. Wild Rina is a San Francisco, CA based clothing and accessories brand offering the dreamiest sets, tops, dresses, pants and so much more. Their summer collection is amazing and we are SO excited to shop Wild Rina IRL at Sip Shop Eat Summer in SF Pop-UP on July 17-18th at Embarcadero Center.
6. Poppylin is an Asian-Woman owned, Los Angeles based lifestyle brand offering hand made candles, gold filled jewelry and made to order crochet goods. Everything is super dreamy and whimsical and the candles are too pretty to burn.
7. Isiko is a California based lifestyle brand founded by Filipina, Janna. Janna designs, makes and curates beautiful wares, bags, home goods, candles jewelry and more. We love the mission of Isiko which is infused with social good and inclusivity. The brand celebrates a variety of cultures and gives a percentage of sales to various causes throughout the year. Shop for minimalist, bohemian styles.
8. Get ready to drool and add to cart. Susanna Chow's designs are absolutely to die for. Founder and Fashion guru, Susanna has always been inspired by design and art. Her background and lifetime of inspiration led to the foundation of starting the iconic brand with her mother. The Chinese mother-daughter duo lovingly empower women to be unique and to explore the endless ways each purse can be styled. Their designs embody the characteristics of the modern woman who values timeless fashion and versatility while maintaining the confidence to incorporate contrast and unexpected details. Each piece is made to order with meticulous attention to detail and hand crafted where it all started, Chinatown, NYC. For each bag sold, a portion of proceeds is donated to supporting the care of disabled orphans living in China, a mission that requires 24/7 devotion and love.
9. Sunnie Creative LLC is owned by two sisters, Yue and Rui (and their assistant, Bao). They started playing with polymer clay in August 2020 and fell in love with the material since then. They decided to share their passion for art and their works with the World. Their designs are so creative and cultivate feelings of happiness just by looking at them. #awardrobestaple
10. The Boiis Co. is a a Filipinx owned mochi based online dessert shop. The Boiss Co is a company inspired by the cultural flavors the founders grew up enjoying as children. Producing premium taste experiences in every sip and bite of their offerings.
Their Premium Tofu Mochi Bites are hand-crafted and then fried to take guests into an explosion of cultural flavors. This, paired up with signature hand-crafted beverages, will make you wonder why this drink isn’t bottled yet.
We could go on and on in sharing all the amazing AAPI-owned small businesses. There is seriously too many to count. We are committed to continuing to discover and share each AAPI brand that we are graced to discover. We hope that you will join us in stopping AAPI hate by voting with your dollars, and shopping AAPI-owned.
With Love,
Taylar Hagan-Colyar
