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Here’s a list of Latino-owned lifestyle businesses in L.A. for National Hispanic Heritage Month

Illustrations of a jean jacket, necklace, plant and children's book, all items sold by Latino-owned businesses.
(Micah Fluellen and Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times)
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How do you compile a list of all of the Latino-owned lifestyle businesses in Los Angeles?

In a city where Latinos are nearly 50% of the population, there is certainly much to celebrate. So in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month we decided to start compiling a list, and in the process, one thing is clear: There are a lot of Latina business owners out there.

We have highlighted a number of small independent Black-owned fashion and design businesses in Los Angeles as well as women-owned businesses, and want to do the same for Latino brands. If you have a favorite that we missed, please let me know and we may add it to the list. Keep in mind that many businesses have limited hours, and products, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Maria Hurtado Lopez is photographed with family at Avalon Nursery & Ceramics in South Los Angeles on Thursday.
Maria Hurtado Lopez is photographed with family at Avalon Nursery & Ceramics in South Los Angeles.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

1. Avalon Nursery

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South Los Angeles’ only enduring nursery feels more like a 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. instagram.com/avalonnurseryla/

2. 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 Los Angeles makers — in her backyard with friend and fellow designer Rachel Craven. beatricevalenzuela.com

3. Birch and Bone

Floral designer Amelia Rose Posada’s DTLA floral design studio specializes in bespoke botanicals. birchandbone.com

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4. Calivolve

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Entrepreneurs Lilly Cabral and Mia Pham’s line of cannabis-infused chocolates are made with Belgian dark chocolate, full-spectrum hemp extract and ashwagandha. calivolve.com

5. Carlos Anthony Lopez

The self-taught designer and builder, who has designed the interiors of Cafe Stella, Ostrich Farm and Sawyer restaurants, recently opened Winston Studios, a design firm focusing on interior/exterior space design, art direction, floral, landscape, and set design. winstonstudios.com and theprojectassassin.com

6. Cisco Home

For three decades, Cisco Pinedo has created understated eco-friendly home furnishings and accessories using sustainable materials. ciscohome.net

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7. Concrete Geometric

Krizia Flores’ concrete, geometric planters and votives have been sold at West Elm, Urban Outfitters and MOCA. During the pandemic, she is offering private digital workshops and custom DIY quick-dry concrete kits. concretegeometric.com

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8. Cuyana

Classic bags and simple separates are designed by Karla Gallardo and Shilpa Shah with the philosophy that creating fewer but better-quality pieces will last. cuyana.com

9. Designing Chica

Susana Sanchez-Young’s prints and cards, posters and coffee mugs are inspired by her culture and current events. society6.com/thedesigningchica

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Artists Jackie Amezquita and Julio Toruno in their Boyle Heights nursery, @EnCactusar.
(Nayeli Huerta / For The Times)

10. EnCactusar

The COVID-19 pandemic gave artists Jackie Amezquita and Julio Toruno the opportunity to turn their hobby into their own nursery, a small business 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: instagram.com/encactusar/

11. Espacio 1839

The Boyle Heights store specializes in culturally significant clothing, masks, jewelry and books, and includes a booth for community radio. espacio1839.com

12. Estudio Persona

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Minimal furniture and lighting designs, made from natural materials, by Emiliana Gonzalez and Jessie Young. estudiopersona.com

13. Fabian Flores Publishing

Former attorney Norma Fabian Newton recently founded FabianFlores Publishing, a Latinx-focused independent publishing house, from her Culver City home. fabianflorespublishing.com/

14. Francis’ Cactus and Succulents

This tiny outdoor lot in North Hollywood sells a variety of cactuses, succulents and some houseplants. franciscactus.com

15. Gentle Riot

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T-shirts celebrating Latinas and women of color. shopgentleriot.com

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16. Gladys Tamez Millinery

Handmade contemporary artisanal hats for both women and men in downtown Los Angeles; clients have included Lady Gaga. gladystamez.com

17. GRL Collective

Clothing, jewelry, stickers and more from the Latina lifestyle brand that is dedicated to ethical and sustainable practices. grlcollective.com

Hedley & Bennett founder Ellen Bennett in her chicken coop
Ellen Bennett is the founder of Hedley & Bennett apron company in Los Angeles.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
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18. Hedley & Bennett

Former chef Ellen Bennett turned the need for stylish but functional aprons into a Vernon-based culinary line that includes handcrafted aprons, chef gear and face masks. hedleyandbennett.com

Patty Delgado is the founder of the Hija de tu Madre lifestyle brand
Patty Delgado is the founder of Hija de tu Madre lifestyle brand.
(Melissa Gomez / Los Angeles Times)

19. 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. hijadetumadre.com

20. Hola Mis Bonitas

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Latinx stationery, stickers, and prints by Claudia Ramos, inspired by her life growing up in Los Angeles. holamijasbonitas.shop and claudiaramosdesigns.com

Felix Navarro in his Highland Park plant shop the Juicy Leaf
Felix Navarro in his Highland Park plant shop the Juicy Leaf.
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

21. The Juicy Leaf

Felix Navarro’s Highland Park plant shop features terrariums and succulent arrangements, houseplants, cactus and housewares. He also offers DIY arrangements that you can create by following the step-by-step instructions on his Instagram. thejuicyleaf.com

22. Kneeland Co.

Joanna Williams, a longtime vintage textile consultant, recently opened a bricks-and-mortar store in West Adams specializing in one-of-a-kind, globally sourced,and handmade home goods and jewelry. kneelandco.com

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Dianna Martinez
Dianna Martinez, owner of the L.A. Garden at the Historic Downtown Farmers Market.
(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

23. The LA 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 & Broadway in front of The Last Bookstore. thelagarden.com

24. Latinx Lineage

Artist Ralph Lubia designs sportswear inspired by Latinx culture, including t-shirts, hoodies, hats and leggings. crestoneltd.com/

Andi Xoch sits with plants from her business, Latinx With Plants
Andi Xoch, the creator of @LatinxWithPlants, recently opened a plant shop in Boyle Heights.
(Martina Ibáñez-Baldor / Los Angeles Times)
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25. 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

26. 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

27. Lil’ Libros

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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

28. Lincoln Avenue Nursery

Lincoln Avenue Nursery in Pasadena is owned by Ramon Franco, a Mexican immigrant who came to the United States when he was 14 in 1974, 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 (Alex) Franco. lincolnavenuenursery.com

29. Loquita Bath

Cruelty-free bath bombs, soaps and scrubs made by women of color. loquitabath.com

30. Luna Magic Beauty

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This Latina-owned and operated beauty brand founded by sisters Mabel and Shaira Frías offers cosmetics, T-shirts and hairpins. lunamagic.com

31. LunaSol Vintage

Mexican vintage store selling original artwork, books, jewelry, and more in Uptown Whittier. Open Wed.-Sun. by appointment. Instagram: @lunasolmexicanvintage

32. 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. she began making soap for the first time, learning along the way with the help of youtube videos.
majesticblisssoaps.com

33. Mi Vida

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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

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34. Mitú Shop

The Los Angeles-based Mitú Shop offers the latest Latino-inspired merchandise — apparel, jewelry and home decor. mitushop.com

35. Party Art Community

Socially conscious party goods, gifts and workshops by Destinie Escobedo. partyartcommunity.com

36. The Plant Chica

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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 and now specializes in unique plants. theplantchica.com/

Kevin Alcaraz, left, and Anthony Diaz, the couple behind Plantiitas, a plant shop/nursery on 4th St. in Long Beach.
Kevin Alcaraz, left, and Anthony Diaz, the couple behind Plantiitas, a plant shop/nursery on 4th St. in Long Beach.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

37. Plantiitas

This queer and Latinx-owned plant shop is carefully curated by owners Anthony Diaz and Kevin Alcaraz who specialize in tropical houseplants, stylish planters, and hand-crafted goods. www.plantiitas.com

38. Pocket Square Clothing

Men’s pocket squares, ties and masks by founders Rodolfo Ramirez and Andrew Cheung. pocketsquareclothing.com

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 Entrepreneur Tricia Beanum reclines on a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe chaise longue
Tricia Beanum, reclining on a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe chaise lounge, has built her estate sale business into a hip L.A. phenomenon.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

39. 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 at 927 N. Sycamore Ave. popuphome.com

40. Querida Los Angeles

Vanessa Garcia’s Latina statement jewelry line is designed to promoted self-love and confidence. queridalosangeles.bigcartel.com/products

41. Raggedy Tiff

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Apparel, stickers, stationery and pillows designed by Jessica Resendiz are influenced by the designer’s Mexican roots. raggedytiff.com

42. Sana Canna

Handcrafted vegan, hemp-infused body and skincare products, and plant-based sweets by Silvana Zamara. sanacanna.shop

43. Selva\Negra

Ethically-sourced apparel and accessories informed by the Latina heritage of designers Kristen Gonzalez and Sam Romero. selvanegra.us

44. Sweet Llamita

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Bicultural stationery in Spanish, English and Spanglish by Brenda Castillo. sweetllamita.com

Tanya Aguiñiga, a fiber artist from Tijuana, relaxes in her Volkswagen Westfalia
Tanya Aguiñiga, a fiber artist from Tijuana, relaxes in her Volkswagen Westfalia, her new studio space during the pandemic.
(Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)

45. 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

46. Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural
In addition to book readings, film screenings, and art exhibits, this Latino-owned 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

47. Ramon Valdez

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The founder of Fine Art Solutions specializes in custom framing, fabrication, metal, woodworking, lamination and matting. fineartsolutionsinc.com

48. Valfré

Women’s apparel, accessories and home goods by Mexican-born artist Ilse Valfré. valfre.com

49. 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

50. Xochiquetzal Arrangements

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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Elizabeth Muñoz was able to launch her shop in Long Beach as a way to give back to the community she grew up in. “Flowers are a symbol of unity, love, beauty and life that our god and goddess have put here for us to admire. Flowers are a lot like us in a lot of respects, and grouping them together is a way of getting us all together in a community. To grow them, you can use a variety of colors and backgrounds. In the end, together we are beautiful,” Muñoz said. xochiquetzalarrangementsllc.com/

51. Xol y Luna

This Hawthorne-based small-batch apothecary and botanica create healing tinctures, candles, and oils handmade with locally grown herbs. xolyluna.com

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