Long-term economic support for Black-owned businesses is a year-round affair. And February is the perfect time to reacquaint ourselves with our favorite Black makers and their inventories, and discover new Black-owned brands in the interior design industry, as we celebrate and reflect on Black History Month.
All month long, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite Black makers, designers, authors and artists, starting with these 12 creators who are designing beautiful wallcoverings and fabrics:
Yaël & Valérie
Founded by Valérie Louis, and named after herself and her daughter, this Haitian-based company is inspired by Louis’ African heritage. Printed exclusively on natural fibers, each tropical collection aims to capture the essence and rich history of the Caribbean. Louis writes, “From the challenges of their women, the mystic of their goddesses, the scenery of their homes, the beauty of their endemic birds, the joy of their carnival and the dance of their freedom, we invite you to welcome them into your space.”
Malene Barnett for Lulu and Georgia
Artist, activist and founder of the Black Artists + Designers Guild, Malene Barnett has recently partnered with Lulu and Georgia to launch her first wallpaper collection: the Kindred Collection. Channeling a “contemporary Black experience rooted in the cultural and artistic traditions of the African diaspora” and inspired by the ceramic vessels Barnett is most known for, the series of wallpapers features unique patterns, tactile textures, and colorways akin to nature.
AphroChic
Founded in 2007 by husband-and-wife team Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, AphroChic is a multi-disciplinary brand that covers product design, fashion, and content creation. Their fabric line features bold prints that highlight the culture and creativity within the African American community. Pictured here, the Ailey fabric designed in collaboration with Kim Johnson Studios is part of a series that pays homage to the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre. The theater historically gave unprecedented opportunities to Black dancers, and “brought classical and contemporary 20th-century dance to African American culture, combining an eclectic approach to movement with jazz, blues and spirituals.”
Eva Sonaike
This London-based interiors company specializes in luxury textiles with a distinctive and vibrant West-African aesthetic. The company’s ethos ‘Bringing Colour to Life’ is reflected in its signature collections of cushions, rugs, fabrics and furnishings using textiles designed by the eponymous Eva Sonaike. Emphasis is placed on hand finishing, distinct designs and high-quality manufacturing.
Mitchell Black
Mitchell Black is a Chicago-based company specializing in all things wallcoverings – from peel and stick wallpaper, to extravagant, oversized wall murals. Mitchell Black also offers special benefits to members of the design industry – click here for more information.
Bridgid Coulter
In addition to her interior design work, Brigid Coulter also designs a signature textile collection inspired by her love of travel and dedication to integrating indigenous architectural forms into modern designed spaces. All fabrics are screen printed in Los Angeles on all-natural linen with water-based dyes.
Elle Gibson
While frequently shopping for textiles and wallcoverings for clients as a designer, Elle Gibson says she reached a moment where she felt something was missing: “patterns that tell stories and add meaning to the things we surround ourselves with.” Her collections were born out of that desire.
Antique Textiles Gallery
The ATGHC was founded in 2021 by interior designer and textiles expert Oskar L. Torres, with an emphasis on rich embroideries from old Europe and ethnic/tribal artisanal textiles from Asia, Africa and the Americas. Torres is the leading resource for antique and vintage textiles in the interior design industry. Take a look at the collection via 1stDibs.
Bolé Road Textiles
New York-based designer Hana Getachew started Bolé Road Textiles out of a desire to merge her love of Ethiopian handwoven fabrics with her career in interior design. Her designs are an homage to her own cultural inheritance and a reflection of her personal global modern aesthetic.
Sheila Bridges
Bridges’ now-iconic Harlem Toile is just one of many patterns the designer offers as wallcoverings. Each print is inspired by Bridges’ life, travels, and her over two decades in the design industry. Pictured, Torino Damask is inspired by the classical architecture and baroque courtyards and colonnades of Turin (Torino) Italy.
Unwrp
Though primarily a luxury gift wrap company, Brooklyn-based Unwrp also offers a series of fabrics and pillows, like the “Square Up” wrap pictured here. Unwrp was founded by Ashley L. Fouyolle in 2017, as a way to channel her love of art, fashion, vibrant colors, and unique patterns.
Jungalow
Wildly popular (and wildly patterned), Justina Blakeney’s home decor brand is a must for large-print wallcoverings. With an emphasis on bringing color and bold prints into the home, Jungalow writes, “Since we’re all bringing good vibes home, we applied inspiration from plants, hamsas, the sun and other symbols of positive energies throughout the line.”
Check back with aspire weekly for more Black-owned businesses to keep on your radar.
Cover photo: Kindred Collection via Lulu and Georgia.
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