15 Mexican-Owned Businesses To Indulge In

Add a splash of cultura to your day.

Mexico, Colorful buildings and streets of San Miguel de Allende in historic city center
(Image credit: Elijah Lovkoff/ Getty)

Mexico, as one of our closest neighbors, has long had a close yet complex relationship with the United States. The West and Southwest, which were once part of Mexico, are heavily influenced by Mexican food, culture, and the Spanish language (take, for instance, city names like Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Antonio), and millions people of Mexican descent have come to call the U.S. home. Among those people, there are countless Mexican-American entrepreneurs in the fashion, lifestyle, food, and beverage spaces who are bringing incredible originality, cultural nuance, and ethical production to the game.

However, longstanding anti-Mexican sentiment has become more commonplace in recent years, too often resulting in hate crimes, mass violence, and daily harassment that has taken its toll on the collective mental health of the Mexican-American community. Meanwhile, white Americans everywhere commodify Mexican holidays and traditions like Cinco de Mayo without understanding the basic history of the holiday.

For these reasons, it has become increasingly important to support Mexican and Mexican-American brands. Not only do small businesses have the power to elevate entire communities, but many of these brands also boast ethical and sustainable production, especially considering the debilitating impact that climate change has had (and could continue to have) on Mexico's incomparably beautiful (and incredibly biodiverse) landscape. It also helps that these brands are so very, very cool. Below, check out 15 of the Mexican-owned brands I'm about to spend my next paycheck on.

Emilia Cruz Art

postcards of paintings

(Image credit: Emilia Cruz)

In her detailed, unique artwork, Emilia Cruz explores topics of heritage, self-love, race, and identity. A first generation Mexican American born and raised in Southern California, she's been commissioned by the likes of CNN en Español and by the Netflix shows Gente-fied and Selena: The Series in addition to having been featured in a number of notable exhibitions. Now, you can hang her artwork in your home, commission a piece, or buy one of Cruz's pre-printed mugs, totes, and other items. I'm personally a fan of her prints and postcards, and am revisiting the site for more pieces with which to decorate my apartment.

Hija De Tu Madre

graphic tee that says, "Yo hago lo que me da la gana"

(Image credit: hijadetumadre.com)

Hija De Tu Madre's founder and designe, Patty Delgado, created the brand in order to celebrate her Latinx heritage and the complexities that come with being a Latina in the United States. Her pieces heavily feature Mexican iconography and slang, and you can enjoy her fun, witty, and political designs across the apparel, jewelry, and lifestyle categories.

Yo Soy Afro Latina

black graphic tee

(Image credit: yosoyafrolatina.com)

When Afro-Mexican founder Bianca Kathryn was a child growing up in the midwest, she struggled to find people who both looked like her and were part of the Latinx community. It wasn't until she travelled to Mexico and learned more about the rich history of Black Latinidad that she finally felt seen and was able to connect with Latinx people who had the same feelings and experiences as she did. Now, in order to celebrate her multi-faceted heritage and help others feel seen, too, she creates apparel, accessories, and home goods through Yo Soy Afro Latina that are as fun as they are meaningful.

Honey B. Gold

gold necklace

(Image credit: honeybgold.com)

Founder Natalia Durazo is the youngest child of Mexican parents who immigrated to the U.S. in search of opportunity. Durazo was raised in L.A.'s Inland Empire, where she was immersed in the Chicano culture and Hip Hop style that now inspire her incomparable designs. She designs, sources, and creates each of her items and seeks to celebrate individuality and self-expression through her pieces. Personally, I'm obsessed with her hoops, which are the styles she's best-known for.

Santa Lupita

Santa Lupita flowing dress

(Image credit: shop.santalupita.com)

Jorge Acevedo founded Santa Lupita in order to ethically, conscientiously spread love for Mexican artisanal clothing. All of the brand's pieces are handmade in Mexico, and many incorporate traditional woven designs with contemporary, flowing silhouettes.

Ale Bremer

gold necklace

(Image credit: garmentory.com)

Ale Bremer founded her eponymous brand after immigrating from Northern Mexico and studying to be a Metalsmith and earning a degree in Fine Arts. Her grandfather, a metallurgical engineer, was her primary inspiration when she dedicated her life to making meaningful handmade jewelry that's meant to evoke nostalgia for the romantic desert landscape of her childhood.

Julia y Renata

red loose dress

(Image credit: proyectorepublica.com)

Sisters Julia and Renata Franco started their minimalist clothing line after graduating from Guadalajara's Fashion Design Center. Their geometric yet flowing silhouettes look stunning on every body type, and their asymmetrical, modernist takes on fashion are inspired by their home city, so you can carry a little piece of Guadalajara with you every time you don one of their designs.

Jen Zeano Designs

Jen Zeano Designs, or JZD, is an LGBTQ-owned brand that couple Jen and Vero started in order to create pieces that celebrate both femininity and Latinx identity. The brand carries accessories, apparel, and even lifestyle goods like drinkware and stationary.

Tierra canvas bag

(Image credit: shopjzd.com)

Graziano and Gutierrez

blue shirt

(Image credit: grazianoandgutierrez.com)

After attending college together, Alejandro Gutierrez and Samuel Graziano founded their brand in order to empower Mexican artisans and keep traditional Mexican textile practices alive. They also put a sustainable, modernist spin on these methods by upcycling tablecloths, upholstery, and other fabrics in order to produce unique products. All of their clothing is made using natural fibers and their supplier partnerships support artisans in Oaxaca, Teotitlan del Valle, and San Andres Larrainzar, Chiapas.

Pulaski

sandals with long straps

(Image credit: pulaski.mx)

Pulaski is a sustainable shoe brand based in Guadalajara that makes all of its goods from eco-friendly, all-natural ingredients like cactus leather. Founder Fernando Amador spends countless hours researching global footwear trends and carbon-neutral production methods so that the brand can craft everything from espadrilles to boots with both high quality and a deep sense of responsibility.

Casa Nortes

white dress

(Image credit: casanortes.com)

Casa Nortes is a seasonless fashion brand that honors First Nations peoples through design. In particular, they work with the Raramuri community in Mexico to create their handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces, which are all ethically crafted in a women-owned facility that pays fair wages.

Tequila Corralejo

tequila

(Image credit: https://tequilacorralejo.mx/)

This historic brand, founded in the mid-1700s, is the first commercial producer of tequila in Mexican history, and continues to be one of the most popular tequila brands on the continent. They offer a number of tequilas along with rum and other spirits, all of which celebrate Mexican history and tradition. 

Yola Mezcal

Yola Mezcal

(Image credit: yolamezcal.com)

Yola is a multi-generation family-owned Mezcal brand that meticulously and sustainably sources high-quality ingredients for its 300-year-old recipe. The spirit finds the perfect balance between smoky and smooth, making it perfect for cocktails or simply for sipping on the rocks.

Siete

Siete foods bundle

(Image credit: sietefoods.com)

Food brand Siete's name has a touching story: Siete is the Spanish word for seven, and there are seven members of co-founder Veronica Garza's family. Garza conceived of the brand because, after she was diagnosed with several auto-immune conditions, she needed to adopt a grain-free diet, which limited her ability to indulge in some of her Mexican-American family's favorite traditional recipes. Thus, she created her own line of clourless, corn-less, vegan, and paleo treats, which include chips, taco shells, sauces, condiments, and more. 

Saucy Lips

Saucy Lips Zesty Cilantro Sauce

(Image credit: saucylipsfoods.com)

Behold one of the most heartwarming business stories of all time: Saucy Lips was founded by a Mexican-American immigrant family after the family's matriarch, Gabriela, decided to start selling her homemade hot sauces at a farmer's market to pay for her children's tuition. Now, this women-led team (comprised of Gabriela and her daughters, Natalia and Jess) produces a number of tasty sauces that are available nationwide.

Amor y Flor

Calmate white candle

(Image credit: https://amoryflor.com/)

Amor y Flor's founder, Lorraine, is a self-taught candle maker from Los Angelees who uses her Latinx identity as inspiration for her scents. Her brand carries candles that honor the Aztec Empire and Aztec goddess Xochiquetzal; the popular Central American drink Horchata; and her grandmother's rose garden.

Gabrielle Ulubay
Beauty Writer

Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.

Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art