September 15 marks the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month—the perfect time to re-up your commitment to shopping sustainable Hispanic brands.
The observation of Hispanic Heritage began in the late 1960s as a week, and was expanded to a month-long affair in the '80s. September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, with Mexico and Chile following closely after. At Brightly, though a month isn’t long enough—we want to uplift and celebrate the Hispanic community year-round.
If you're looking for easy (and stylish) ways to support Hispanic-owned businesses this month and beyond, these 14 brands provide a solid foundation for your continued search.
14 Sustainable Hispanic-Owned Brands to Support
1. Cuyana
Cuyana, founded by Ecuadorian immigrant Karla Gallardo, is all about elevated basics. You can find everything from personalized small leather goods to the perfect work bag, capsule wardrobe staples, and more. It has quickly become one of the most sought-after fashion brands in the sustainability space.
The brand is thoughtful about its production runs and sells through 90% of items created, compared to the industry standard of 60-70%. Cuyana favors sustainably-certified materials and partners with suppliers who share its commitment to sustainability.
2. Naja
Naja is an eco-conscious and socially responsible intimates brand, founded by Catalina Girald and Gina Rodriguez in an effort to make women feel more empowered in their underwear. You can find everything from cheeky panties, to lace bras, and more, all featuring digital printing rather than dye in an effort to reduce waste.
Marlene Vargas and Alex Naranjo set out to create a safe space for anyone to channel their spirituality. House of Intuition sells everything from ethically-sourced crystals to toxin-free candles in recycled glass containers. House of Intuition has physical store locations in California, Florida, and other states across the U.S.
4. Luna Sundara
Another sustainable brand that helps shoppers tap into their spiritual side is Luna Sundara. The aromatherapy company works with Latin American artisans and its founder, Sandra Manay, hails from Peru.
Stock up on smudge sticks, palo santo, and home decor that feature 100% sustainable botanicals, are crafted by local artisans, and manufactured as responsibly as possible.
GRL Collective founder Kristine Rodriguez started the brand after testifying against her abuser in a public court case, and each piece embodies a form of female empowerment. The products are crafted using ethical, sustainable, and fair-trade practices—no sweatshops, quality materials, and eco-minded packaging.
6. Xula
Xula is a Black- and Hispanic-owned herb shop based in Mexico City. The brand aims to honor, dignify, and amplify all bodies—from trans to menopausal to differently-abled—while offering the richness of Mexican culture to a U.S. consumer through the power of CBD and other ethically-sourced cannabinoids.
7. La Gotta
La Gotta is a sustainable and UVA-safe swimwear (each piece is the equivalent of SPF 50!) line produced in Miami; its founder, Valeria del Rey is based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The brand launched in 2020 and features swimwear crafted from recycled plastic bottles and dyed with non-toxic chemicals, along with a clean sunscreen. In addition, La Gotta produces items in small batches to minimize its footprint.
8. Aurelia
Aurelia is an accessories brand created by Mexican designers and sisters Andrea, Paula, and Magdalena de la Torre Suárez. The three live between Los Angeles and Mexico City, and created the line to honor their grandmother, Aurelia from Asturias, and their Mexican charrería culture.
The brand favors in-step artisans with whom they collaborate closely to ensure ethical and sustainable standards. All offerings are crafted in small amounts and made and sourced locally.
9. Wray
Wray is a Hispanic-owned brand inspired by fine art. It's named after its founder, Wray Serna, who is of Italian and Mexican heritage and takes notes from sculptures, paintings, and other mediums. The brand's production team is based out of Peru, Shanghai, and India to ensure that its employees are operating under ethical work conditions.
In terms of materials, Wray favors recycled fabrics and compostable shipping material, the better to create long-lasting products that customers can feel good about investing in.
10. Cuerpa
Cuerpa's chic aesthetic makes it a must-have among minimalists. The brand offers a variety of beauty products in small batches with responsibly sourced and natural ingredients like roses and cacti. Created by Edwin Jimenez Casanova of the Dominican Republic, Cuerpa is cruelty-free—and free from parabens, phthalate, mineral oils, and more.
11. Lights Lacquer
Lights Lacquer is the brainchild of influencer and beauty YouTuber, Kathleen Lights. The Miami-based founder was born to Cuban immigrants and, after garnering a following for her unique nail art, she sought to create her own line of non-toxic polishes.
The polishes are free of toxins like formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, and xylene, along with parabens, fragrances, phthalates, animal ingredients, ethyl tosylamide, and triphenyl phosphate.
12. All for Ramon
This Latina sister-owned brand is based out of Los Angeles. Every ethically-made item is produced in small batches, ensuring that employees can work under safe conditions and in a positive work environment.
Each garment is washed at the brand's L.A. facility using low-impact dyes that are free of toxins. Plus, of All for Ramon's packages are delivered in recycled packaging and vegetable ink printed hand tags.
13. Selva Negra
Selva Negra is owned by friends Kristen Gonzalez and Sam Romero, who started it after graduating college in 2016. Along with friendship, the brand champions compostable packaging, upcycled fabric, small production runs, and fair-wage practices and transparency, so customers can shop with confidence.
14. Wasi Clothing
The word Wasi is a Quechuan word that means home. It was also one of the last words Wasi's founder, Vanessa Acosta, heard her grandfather say before his passing. Wasi Clothing is Brown-Latina-owned and Bolivian-American-owned, with Bolivian roots embedded in each and every single piece. Along with a commitment to sustainability, Wasi offers fair and equal wages.
