Over the last year, it’s been exciting to see the next generation of Asian American entrepreneurs. We’ve seen several AAPI-owned brands pop up in our local shops and some of the largest retailers in America. Seeing their success shows that dreaming big and acting out of love for our culture and community is well worth the hard work.
Earlier this year, Cold Tea Collective attended the ACE NextGen in Las Vegas and met some Asian American brands at the conference.
Here are some of the online Asian American brands we met and recommend shopping during this Black Friday.
Covry
Founded by New Yorkers Athina Wang and Florence Shin, Covry offers inclusive eyewear styles that offer alternative options compared to the mainstream one-size-fits-all options. Their prescription and sunglasses glasses feature longer nose pads, reduced frame curvature, and narrowed nose bridges.
Their Black Friday deals include $30 off specs & 20% off sunwear.
Another favourite inclusive-fit eyewear brand of ours is Yunizon Eyewear, who shared their story with us last year. Use the code COLDTEA for 20% off.
1587 Sneakers
This Asian American brand is unapologetically proud of its heritage. 1587 produces high-quality, full grain Italian leather sneakers. Their sneakers are elevated, sleek, and timeless. Beyond sneakers, 1587 also has unique clothing items highlighting Asian American cultural celebrations.
Adam King, Sam Hyun and Jerry Won founded 1587 in Boston, MA.
Why 1587? That was the year the first Asians, workers from the Philippines, stepped foot into America, in what is now known as Morro Bay, California.
Dawang
Shop their Black Friday sale to get deals up to 70% off.
Dawang is Daisy Wang’s (nickname) namesake contemporary streetwear design brand. Its unique take on “modern chinoiserie” clothing comes from Wang’s experiences and perspectives as someone born and raised in China. The brand came to life while Wang was at Parsons School of Design and noticed a gap in fashion where it was missing a blend of East meets West designs.
Faceted Beauty
Share your style with Faceted Beauty’s custom gel manicure. Founder Lisa Estrella Yang (she/they/he) came into nail art as a form of self-discovery, self-expression, and healing. She draws from her experiences as a queer, Hmong-American, to make nail art more accessible for multifaceted people no matter where they are in the world.
Nimble Made
From dress shirts to accessories, Nimble Made was created to literally fill a gap in the menswear garment industry for those looking for slimmer fitting dress shirts.
Co-founder Tanya Zhang’s father first plotted the idea of Nimble Made’s signature slim fit style when he said, “American shirts don’t fit me,” during a shopping trip at the mall. Together with her partner, Wesley Kang, their desire to create a better-fitting garment resulted in the beginnings of Nimble Made.
Read about Tanya and Wesley’s journey from quitting their day jobs to founding a menswear brand from scratch.
Use code “BLACKFRIDAY2023” for 25% off sitewide.
Hot Boi Chili Oil
Your dumplings never tasted so good. Hot Boi Chili Oil will tingle your taste buds with its crispy and garlic-y profiles. You can also pick your heat level; choose from Original and FIRE. Alex Nguyen, a second-generation Vietnamese American, created Hot Boi Chili Oil and is based in the SF Bay Area (Oakland and San Jose).
Catch them at pop-up stores and markets nearby.
Nam Coffee
Nam Coffee’s founder, Vince Nugyen’s mission is to bring the flavors of Vietnamese coffee he grew up on to coffee lovers in America. Nugyen’s love for coffee runs deep — he grew up working at his mom’s coffee stand in Saigon. Once in America, his premium coffee roasting journey began when he couldn’t find a coffee that reminded him of his childhood in Vietnam.
Nam Coffee is available online and in select retailers across the country. Order a bag of premium robusta, arabica, or blend coffee beans today.
We hope to see more Asian American brands rise and take off in the near future. Let us know on social which brands you’ll be shopping for this Black Friday!
See also: Six Asian Canadian brands to shop this Black Friday
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