A Spotlight On: Black Owned Brands at Liberty
This Black History Month, discover the work of five Black-owned brands at Liberty leading a new generation of Liberty’s artistic movement
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A Spotlight On: Black Owned Brands at Liberty
This Black History Month, discover the work of five Black-owned brands at Liberty leading a new generation of Liberty’s artistic movement
Since its inception, Black History Month has provided an annual opportunity to honour the contributions of Black people to society and culture, both here in the UK and further afield. This year, we hope to celebrate exactly that, just on somewhat of a more local scale – right here at Liberty. This Black History Month, discover the work of five Black-owned brands at Liberty leading a new generation of Liberty’s artistic movement, as we celebrate this year’s theme: “Standing Firm in Power and Pride”. From fine jewellery to hair and skincare, fragrance and clothing – these are the brands to celebrate 365 days a year.
Charlotte Mensah
As the woman who revolutionised natural haircare with bespoke products for afro and curly hair, Charlotte Mensah is a titan in the beauty industry. Her journey embodies her own philosophy: “Don’t fear failure; instead, prepare for it. Business involves making mistakes. If you’re not making any, you’re not taking enough risks.” With an award-winning brand and famed hair salon – Hair Lounge – under her belt, Mensah is renowned for her transformative Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil and revolutionary shampoo and conditioner formulas, which hydrate, nourish and restore Afro, mixed and curly hair. Debuted in the award-winning stylist’s Portobello Road Salon, Hair Lounge, these haircare gems contain sustainably sourced, organic manketti nut oil, prized for its conditioning benefits. Not only do they deliver remarkable results, but they smell amazing too.
Charlotte Mensah
Manketti Oil Pomade 200ml
Charlotte Mensah
Manketti Oil Conditioner 250ml
Free UK Standard Delivery on all orders over £100! Delivered within 3-5 working days. Normally £5.95.
Free UK Standard Delivery on all orders over £100! Delivered within 3-5 working days. Normally £5.95.
Charlotte Mensah
Manketti Hair Oil 100ml
Charlotte Mensah
Manketti Oil Shampoo 250ml
Charlotte Mensah
Manketti Oil Finishing Mist 100ml
Maya Njie
For Swedish-born perfumer Maya Njie, scent is strictly personal. Bottling precious moments in time, her fragrances are olfactory snapshots of memories and family photographs, imbued with the spirit of Scandinavia in the ’70s and the soul of her Gambian heritage. “Having the outlet for creativity within olfaction and photography has been therapeutic and has acted as support for me,” she explains. “Fragrance definitely has an element of wellness to it, and to be able to create scented spaces within the house has been really enjoyable.” Handcrafted in small batches in the perfumer’s Hackney studio, these contemporary, genderless fragrances are infused with a comforting measure of nostalgia.
Maya Njie
Vanilj Eau de Parfum 50ml
Maya Njie
Nordic Cedar Eau de Parfum 50ml
Maya Njie
Les Fleurs Eau de Parfum 50ml
Maya Njie
Tobak Eau de Parfum 50ml
Maya Njie
Voyeur Verde Eau De Parfum 50ml
Maya Njie
Tropica Eau de Parfum 50ml
Seventh
Bukki Ojo’s journey into fashion started in her teenage years when, at just 17, she started her first brand, Bukki, reworking vintage denim with African fabrics. After early success, and a subsequent masters in Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the London College of Fashion, Seventh was born, and grew from a market stall in Camden to a cult favourite of those in-the-know. Grounded in a refined, minimalist aesthetic, the beloved streetwear brand has earned a devoted following since its 2019 launch. With the vision of Creative Director Emmanuel Duro, the brand’s offering is the definition of essentialism – every element is considered, and the output is at once effortless, and so cool.
“Seventh is way more than the clothing, we like to refer to Seventh as a home. We like Seventh to be a place where people can come together and feel included.”
Dizziak
After years of feeling uninspired and unimpressed by the modern UK haircare market, unable to find efficacious products that would actually make a difference to her multi-textured hair, Nigerian-Italian journalist turned founder Loretta de Feo decided to take matters into her own hands. And the results – a range of products for hair and body loved by pretty much anyone that tries them (including Dua Lipa) – are testament to her hard graft. In her own words, it’s the answer to her years-long quest as a consumer to find a formulation that was right for her hair.
“I don’t consider myself competing with anyone – it’s about finding a space. And there was and is a massive one in the haircare industry.”
Mateo
Before rising to stardom and building up a cult following and celebrity fanbase along the way, Jamaican-born, self-taught designer Matthew Harris could be found in New York’s jewellery district, observing master jewellers, honing his craft and immersing himself in books and YouTube tutorials. Having absorbed all he could and driven by an instinctive need to handmake his very own pieces of art it was in 2009 when he first decided to go it alone - Mateo was born.
Deeply rooted in his heritage, Harris explains, “Yes, Jamaica is always hidden in my work. The colours of the flag are always present in my work. We mostly use warm yellow gold which represents the beautiful sunshine of Jamaica. The green is always represented in the form of malachite which represents the lush tropical vegetation. Black onyx appears often in my work. The black represents the strength and resilience of the people.” Today, fluid forms, understated elegance and a minimalist mindset are all signature hallmarks of his, making his pieces effortless and utterly ageless.
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