SHOP LATINO
IT’S NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. WANT TO SHOW SUPPORT? CONSIDER THESE 61 LIFESTYLE BUSINESSES
FROM CUSTOM guitars made by hand in Boyle Heights to Chicanoinspired streetwear referencing candy painted low-riders and micheladas, so many of Los Angeles’s independent brands showcase the best of Latino West Coast culture. With that in mind — and in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Wednesday through Oct. 15 — for a second year we’ve put together a list of more than 60 Hispanic and Latino lifestyle businesses in Los Angeles that you should know about.
As with our lists of Black-, AAPI- and female-owned businesses — find those online at latimes.com/style — this is not meant to be a definitive list but a way to highlight small businesses in Los Angeles.
Avalon Nursery South Los Angeles’ only enduring nursery feels more like a lush botanic garden than a thriving business on a busy corner. In addition to trees, shrubs and colorful ceramics, the nursery features a “green room,” where most of the houseplants reside. On Instagram @avalonnurseryla
Beatrice Valenzuela The Echo Park designer, known for her feminine apparel, accessories and minimal sandals, started the popular Echo Park Craft Fair — an annual festival devoted to L.A. makers — in her backyard with friend and fellow designer Rachel Craven. beatricevalenzuela.com
Bella Doña Entrepreneurs and best friends LaLa Romero and Natalia Durazo created this line of women’s streetwear to celebrate candy-painted low-riders, micheladas and SoCal Chicano culture through tees and sweats, jewelry, accessories and home decor. bella-dona.com
Birch and Bone Floral designer Amelia Rose Posada’s DTLA design studio specializes in bespoke botanicals. birchandbone.com
Calivolve
Entrepreneurs Lilly Cabral and Mia Pham’s line of cannabis-infused chocolates is made with Belgian dark chocolate, full-spectrum hemp extract and ashwagandha. calivolve.com
Candelas Guitars Every instrument in this Boyle Heights shop is handcrafted by thirdgeneration luthier Tomas Delgado, who has built guitars for Raúl Pacheco of Ozomatli, the Breeders’ Kim Deal and Jose Feliciano, among others. The store, which offers repairs, custom work and guitar lessons, has been in business for more than 75 years. candelas.com
Carlos Anthony Lopez The self-taught designer and builder, who has designed the interiors of Cafe Stella, Ostrich Farm and Sawyer restaurants, opened Winston Studios, a design firm focusing on interior/exterior spaces, art direction, floral, landscape and set design. winstonstudios.com, theprojectassassin.com
Cisco Home For three decades, Cisco Pinedo has created understated eco-friendly home furnishings and accessories using sustainable materials. ciscohome.net
Concrete Geometric Krizia Flores’ concrete, geometric planters and votives have been sold at West Elm, Urban Outfitters and MOCA. She offers occasional workshops and custom DIY quick-dry concrete kits. concretegeometric.com
Cuyana
Classic bags and simple separates are designed by Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah with the philosophy of creating fewer but better-quality pieces to last. cuyana.com
Designing Chica Susana Sanchez-Young’s prints and cards, posters and coffee mugs are inspired by her culture and current events. society6.com/thedesigningchica
EnCactusar
During the COVID-19 pandemic, artists Jackie Amezquita and Julio Toruno turned their love of plants into a nursery at their Boyle Heights home. Toruno makes arrangements with cactuses, and they both make ceramic plant pots. Open on Saturdays and Sundays only. DM them on Instagram to make an appointment: @encactusar
Espacio 1839
The Boyle Heights store specializes in culturally significant clothing, masks, jewelry and books, and includes a booth for community radio. espacio1839.com
Estudio Persona Minimal furniture and lighting designs made from natural materials by artisans Emiliana Gonzalez and Jessie Young. estudiopersona.com
Fabian Flores Publishing Former attorney Norma Fabian Newton recently founded FabianFlores Publishing, a Latinxfocused independent publishing house, from her Culver City home. fabianflorespublishing.com
Francis’ Cactus and Succulents This tiny outdoor lot in North Hollywood sells a variety of cactuses, succulents and some houseplants. franciscactus.com
Gentle Riot T-shirts celebrating Latinas and women of color. shopgentleriot.com
Gladys Tamez Millinery Handmade contemporary artisanal hats for women and men in downtown Los Angeles; clients have included Lady Gaga. gladystamez.com
GRL Collective Clothing, jewelry, stickers and more from the Latina lifestyle brand that is dedicated to ethical and sustainable practices. grlcollective.com
Hedley & Bennett Former chef Ellen Bennett turned the need for stylish but functional aprons into a Vernonbased line that includes handcrafted aprons, chef gear and face masks. hedleyandbennett.com
Hija de Tu Madre Patty Delgado’s Hija de Tu Madre lifestyle brand explores the cultural intersection of being Mexican American with such pieces as a denim jacket adorned with an image of la Virgen de Guadalupe and shorts, T-shirts and sweatshirt sets inspired by middleschool P.E. uniforms. hijadetumadre.com
Hola Mis Bonitas Latinx stationery, stickers and prints by Claudia Ramos inspired by her life growing up in Los Angeles. holamijas bonitas.shop, claudiaramosdesigns.com
Honey B. Gold Named after Wu-Tang Killa Bees, designer Natalia Durazo’s accessories brand is inspired by Chicano culture and hip-hop. honeybgold.com
Joaquina Botanica Giovanna Campagna created Joaquina Botánica, a clean skincare line with botanicals indigenous to Latin America. joaquinabotanica.com
The Juicy Leaf
Felix Navarro’s Glassell Park plant shop features terrariums and succulent arrangements, houseplants, cactuses and housewares. He also offers DIY arrangements that you can create by following the step-bystep instructions on his Instagram account. thejuicyleaf.com
Kneeland Co. Joanna Williams, a longtime vintage textile consultant, expanded her company to include a bricks-and-mortar store in West Adams specializing in one-of-a-kind, globally sourced and handmade home goods and jewelry. kneelandco.com
The L.A. Garden Latin-inspired stickers, clothing, home and office products as well as succulent arrangements by Dianna Martinez. You can find Martinez at the DTLA farmers market on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on 5th and Broadway in front of the Last Bookstore. thelagarden.com
Latinx Lineage Culture Artist Ralph Lubia designs sportswear inspired by Latinx culture, including T-shirts, hoodies and hats. crestoneltd.com
Latinx With Plants Andi Xoch started selling houseplants on her Instagram account, Latinx With Plants, which led to the opening of her first plant shop in Boyle Heights last month. latinxwithplants.com
Lenita by Grita
Nemuel DePaula of the design studio Grita resumes his flower truck deliveries — courtesy of a pink ’91 Dodge Aeromate — on Oct. 1. Additionally, he opened a flower shop this month at 1242 20th St. in Santa Monica. lenitabygrita.com
Lil’ Libros
Los Angeles moms Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein started Lil’ Libros in 2014 after they had a hard time finding children’s books in both English and Spanish. Their picture books, written by the co-founders, are designed to introduce bilingualism and Latin American culture to children. lillibros.com
Lincoln Avenue Nursery Lincoln Avenue Nursery in Pasadena is owned by Ramon Franco, a Mexican immigrant who came to the U.S. in 1974 when he was 14, worked as a gardener and then became a landscape contractor and purchased the nursery from the Takemura family in 2003. He now runs it with his children, Brenda Franco and Alejandro Franco. lincolnavenue nursery.com
Loquita Bath Cruelty-free bath bombs, soaps and scrubs made by women of color, for everyone. loquitabath.com
Luna Magic Beauty This Latina-owned and -operated beauty brand founded by sisters Mabel and Shaira Frías offers cosmetics, T-shirts and hairpins. lunamagic.com
LunaSol Vintage Mexican vintage store selling original artwork, books, jewelry and more in Uptown Whittier. By appointment WednesdaySunday. On Instagram, @ lunasolmexican vintage
Majestic Bliss Soaps
Vegan and cruelty-free artisan soaps by Marcela Arrieta, who started her popular brand in her Boyle Heights garage with a $500 GoFundme campaign and the help of YouTube videos. majesticblisssoaps.com
Mandana Blvd.
Cristina Ramos and Nu Goteh began Mandana Blvd. after struggling to furnish their new home in Los Angeles. On their website and Instagram account, the couple offers vintage housewares and furnishings found at flea markets and estate sales. mandanablvd.com
Marvin Douglas Jewelry The Latin American fine-jewelry designer — Bad Bunny is a fan — will debut a new collection in October inspired by his Central American roots and SoCal upbringing. marvindouglas.com
Mi Vida
Women’s tops and accessories are illustrated with Mexican-inspired images and sayings such as “Paz y Amor” and “Yo te Cielo” from a Frida Kahlo poem. shopmivida.com
Mitú Shop
The L.A.-based Mitú Shop offers the latest Latino-inspired merchandise — apparel, jewelry and home decor. mitushop.com
Nue Stephanie Montes, a fashion-design graduate turned fashion and beauty editor, created a line of “boob tape” for women of all body types and skin tones. Nue’s “A Boob Job in a Box” is waterproof, sweat-proof, outfit-proof and sustainable. thebrandnue.com
Party Art Community Socially conscious party goods, balloons, cards, gifts and workshops by Destinie Escobedo. party artcommunity.com
Pippi and Lola Dynelly del Valle’s Long Beach shop offers indoor houseplants, “spa treatments” such as repotting, plant baths and sauna sessions, accessories and virtual design consultations. pippiandlola.com
The Plant Chica Sandra Mejia transformed an old auto body shop in Jefferson Park into her own urban greenhouse and plant shop. Mejia started her business by selling plants around her neighborhood and through Etsy. She now specializes in unique plants. theplantchica.com
Plantiitas
This queer and Latinxowned plant shop is carefully curated by owners Anthony Diaz and Kevin Alcaraz, who specialize in tropical houseplants, stylish planters and hand-crafted goods. plantiitas.com
Pocket Square Clothing Men’s pocket squares, ties and masks by founders Rodolfo Ramirez and Andrew Cheung. pocket squareclothing.com
Pop Up Home Tricia Beanum, known as the queen of estate sales, recently moved her West Adams warehouse to a massive showroom on Sycamore in West Hollywood. Shop for vintage furniture, accessories and art. popuphome.com
Querida Los Angeles Vanessa Garcia’s Latina statement jewelry line is designed to promote self-love and confidence. queridalosangeles.com
Raggedy Tiff Apparel, stickers, stationery and pillows designed by Jessica Resendiz are influenced by the designer’s Mexican roots. raggedytiff.com
Sana Canna
Handcrafted vegan, hemp-infused body and skincare products and plant-based sweets by Silvana Zamara. sanacanna.shop
Selva\Negra Ethically sourced apparel and accessories informed by the Latina heritage of designers Kristen Gonzalez and Sam Romero. selvanegra.us
Siembra Heritage Jacqui Stephen, a Southern California native with family ties to Argentina, founded this online marketplace of unique leather goods, sustainable bags, accessories and more from native communities of Argentina. siembraheritage.com
Sweet Llamita Stationery with messages in Spanish, English and Spanglish by Brenda Castillo. sweetllamita.com
Tanya Aguiñiga The Los Angeles-based designer, fiber artist and activist is known for her large-scale woven installations but also sells small pieces (prints, rope necklaces and woven baskets) at occasional sample sales. tanyaaguiniga.com
Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural In addition to book readings, film screenings and art exhibits, this Latinoowned bookstore and cultural center in Sylmar offers bilingual intergenerational programming in mural painting, music, dance, writing, visual arts, healing arts sessions (such as reiki healing) and healing/talking circles. tiachucha.org
Ramon Valdez The founder of Fine Art Solutions specializes in custom framing, fabrication, metal, woodworking, lamination and matting. fineartsolutionsinc.com
Valfré Women’s apparel, accessories and home goods by Mexican-born artist Ilse Valfré. valfre.com
Viva la Bonita
Rachel Gomez’s Los Angeles-based Latina lifestyle and apparel brand includes T-shirts, sweats, jewelry and phone cases “inspired by the spirit of the women who are fearless.” vivalabonita.com
Wildland Organics Marisa Quintanilla Griffeth founded this organic multiuse and ecoconscious skincare and beauty brand after living in a tiny house in Topanga and a self-converted spring van. Griffeth recently settled in Idyllwild, where she opened a retail store and offers retreats in a custom yurt. wildlandorganics.com
Xochiquetzal Arrangements/The Houseplantt Elizabeth Muñoz launched her floral shop in Long Beach last year. She shares her store space with Nellie Alcaraz, who sells houseplants at the Houseplantt. Together, the women host pop-up events, toy drives and food drives for the homeless. xochiquetzal arrangementsllc.com, linktr.ee/AuranaryloveCo
Xol y Luna
This Hawthorne-based small-batch apothecary and botanica creates healing tinctures, candles and oils handmade with locally grown herbs. xolyluna.com