14 beautiful BIPOC-owned Canadian brands to shop this season

There's no better way to celebrate the holiday season than by supporting homegrown businesses. Canada has a wide array of BIPOC-owned small businesses with incredible offerings from local makers, artists and entrepreneurs in food, home decor, accessories, style and more. Whether you're on the lookout for a cozy candle or one-of-a-kind jewelry, there's something out there from these brands for everyone on your list. 

The Beyoncé-approved, Vancouver-based brand from founder Lilian Umurungi-Jung offers delicious nut butters for all your snacking needs (the idea came to her when she was looking for good snacks while pregnant with her son). This creamy pistachio blend featured here packs a lot of flavour in every bite.

Pistachio Chocolate Almond Butter, $20, Mumgry

Montreal siblings Byron and Dexter Peart curated an online marketplace showcasing products from around the globe for the conscious consumer. They co-designed this multi-coloured hoodie with Canadian label Kotn using sustainably-sourced Egyptian cotton that promises to get softer with each wear. 

The Goodee Hoodie - Multi Alabaster V2, $133, Goodee

Inspired by the landscapes of Ghana, Nana Boateng Osei started his own eco-conscious eyewear company with luxe offerings like these specs crafted from veneer zebrawood.

Barklae Dumu Classic, $200, Bôhten Eyewear 

These bright and colourful scrunchies are handmade in Ottawa by nine-year-old Mya Beaudry, who is Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi. Each one of the scrunchies from her brand is named after someone that has inspired her.

Kokom Anna Scrunchie, $9.50, Kokom Scrunchies

This sleek backpack uses upcycled leather from retired Air Canada planes. The sustainably-minded brand, created by Matt & Nat founder Inder Bedi, focuses on using local production and landfill-sourced materials whenever possible.

Backpack in Upcycled Leather From Retired Air Canada Planes, $297, 457 Anew

This Montreal-based fragrance brand of non gendered fragrances was created by perfumer Dana El Masri. Her Jasminum oil for body and hair is a sumptuous blend of argan and sweet almond oils gently scented with jasmine sambac, jasmine absolute and ginger. The lightweight, multi-tasking oil works for frizz and flyaways, just as well as it does for beards. 

Jasminum Body & Hair Oil, $64, Jazmin Saraï

This Toronto-based brand of "wearable art" by Jordan Clarke specializes in handcrafted fine jewelry using materials like brass and silver. The Wave Collar is hand cut and hammered for texture to highlight the elegant curves of the necklace.

Wave Collar, $195, Enarmoured

Created in collaboration with Métis visual artist Christi Belcourt, this stunning lipstick set by Cheekbone Beauty features Belcourt's painting "This Painting is a Mirror" and contains three special editions lipsticks. $5 from each purchase will go to support Nimkii Aazhibikong, a land-based language and traditional arts camp.

Cheekbone x Christi Belcourt Limited Edition Gift Box, $125, Cheekbone Beauty

Handcrafted in Italy, these eye-catching metallic leather loafers can be dressed up or down. They were named after Australian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl whose book Man's Search for Meaning left a lasting impression on founder Elle AyoubZadeh. 

V - Rosa, $308.37, Zvelle

This braided velvet headband from Winnipeg-based brand Hello Darling, by Filipina entrepreneur Miriam Delos Santos, was designed to make a statement from every angle.  

Frida - Crimson, $59, Hello Darling

Toronto-based artist Benny Bing's stunning portraits make use of bold and brilliant colours. The self-taught painter's latest collection, BLOOM is a celebration of the power, resilience and beauty of Black women.

Makeda Print, from $200, Benny Bing

All of Emma-Love Cabana's creations are inspired by traditional Métis crafting techniques and the lands in which she's lived, like these colour-blocked earrings made using Miyuki glass beads and brass.

Terracotta & Lavender Colour Block, $90, Three Sisters by Emma

Montreal-based brand COO-MON creates handmade bow ties using fabrics from various parts of the globe. This brocade bow tie features tone-on-tone floral embroidery for an elegant statement. 

Monochrome Flower Bow Tie, $45, Coo-Mon at Simons

Vancouver candle company Mala, by Melody Lim, features a cozy soy candle with a rich blend of notes like black amber, lavender and musk. It's the perfect companion for the cold winter months ahead.  

Fireside Candle, $30, Mala

Mishal Cazmi is a Toronto-based beauty and fashion writer and founder of 100 ML. Follow her at @mishalcazmi.