According to a Claritas report in 2019,  there are 131 million multicultural Americans making up 37.5% of the U.S. population, with Hispanics accounting for 19.6%. Each year, the U.S. observes Hispanic Heritage Month <September 15 — October 15> honouring the history, culture and contributions of its Latinx and Hispanic communities and recognising its contributions.  Hispanic Heritage Week began in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson and was enacted into law on August 17, 1988. To support the community, do shop from the many fashion and beauty brands that retail just about everything from luxury and pret, swimwear and accessories, beauty lines, home and lifestyle products. If you didn’t know about them before, here’s a round-up of amazing finds to fill your home, closet and beauty drawer.

Pala Rosa

Fashion

Brazilian designer Patricia Bonaldi designs some of the most beautiful bohemian dresses perfect for a luxury tropical vacation — and has just introduced her bridal line. Made in Colombia, beachwear brand Palo Rosa has the most stylish beachwear with vivacious prints, some in collaboration with A Lot Studio and artist Angelica Tcherassi. Per the designer, ‘we transmit a cohesive message of social responsibility through environmentally conscious production at every level. All of our creations are hand made and 100 per cent Colombian, with an innate spirit of adaptability, transgression, and elegance. Known for its bold prints and vivid colours, Brazilian brand Farm Rio retails bold, fashion-forward looks since 1997 and, the best part is, it is also environmentally conscious. Farm Rio has partnered with One Tree Planted to donate one tree to be planted in the Amazon rainforest each time you make a purchase.

Farm Rio

Luanna Baron’s Capittana has floral swimwear that’ll make a statement at the beach. Launched in 2014 by Raffaella and Stefano, brothers who aspired to create a brand with purpose and self-sustainability that delivers the highest quality. Today, the brand supports Peruvian women by employing them and providing a stable income. Puerto Rican designer Mónica Santos Gil retails the most stylish bags handcrafted sustainably from vegan leather leather crafted from cactus fibers and made in Mexico. The lining is made from recycled water bottle organic cotton blend eco-twill. The accessories label has partnered with One Tree Planted to donate one tree to be planted in the Amazon rainforest each time you make a purchase.

Beauty

Per Vogue, ”’We In the beauty industry, the Latinx population over-indexes in consumption while being underrepresented,” explains Margarita Arriagada, founder of Valdé Beauty, who believes that what will ultimately move the needle is larger brand and retail institutions taking a more proactive approach to immersing themselves in Latinx culture to better understand the nuances. ”We are seeing a rise of Latinx beauty entrepreneurs because they do not see themselves represented, so they are taking matters into their own hands”…

”The Latinx community has a lot of spending power in the beauty industry, but overall we are rarely represented, and when we are it is by the lighter-skinned Latinas with more European features who fit into that ‘mainstream’ standard of beauty,” explains pop superstar Becky G, who launched Treslúce Beauty. ”We are not a monolithic group, and we need more diverse representations of our community and for brands to develop products for our diverse needs.”

A brand to watch out for is Melt Cosmetics. Co-founders Lara Arellano, who used to be Rihanna’s makeup artist, and Dana Bomar have created a collection of cosmetics from lipsticks and eye pencils to eyeshadow palettes and makeup accessories. And, Latina-owned and operated cosmetics brand Vive, which has vegan, cruelty-free products with standout lipsticks and gloss. Looking for skincare? Try the brand launched by Brazilian fashion designer Francisco Costa who retired from designing, returned to his homeland and met the Yawanawá tribe, which eventually led to Costa Brazil, a skincare brand inspired by the natural beauty and strength of the rainforest. And, speaking of celebrities, Becky G and Selena Gomez entered the beauty industry with makeup lines that in to time became a rage. Go for it!

Melt Cosmetics

According to 2017 estimates from the Census Bureau, by 2030, U.S. Hispanics are expected to reach more than 72 million. This growth does not just mean more Hispanics, it also means a transformation of the Hispanic market and many more exciting new fashion and beauty brands to indulge in and support. Stay tuned.