I’m a big fan of the brand’s leather bags—they’re functional, chic, and well-made. When I first used Cuyana’s mini leather backpack, I was immediately impressed with the quality. I could tell this was a piece I would be using for years to come and its style is timeless. I’ve recently been using the Classic Easy Tote for flights and overnight stays to fit a ton of items like my reusable water bottle, snacks, and travel makeup bag. If I want to be a bit more organized on the go, it’s easy to throw in the small tote insert when needed. —Meaghan Kenny, associate commerce editor
Beautyblender
If my goal is to smoothly melt makeup into my skin, the squishy pear-shaped application sponges from Beautyblender are second only to my actual hands. I’m not alone, either. To date, more than 6.5 million Beautyblenders have been sold. The product was created when Rea Ann Silva was working on set as a makeup artist for the TV series Girlfriends—she fashioned it to avoid the inconveniences of working with an airbrush. The brand Beautyblender now sells other products as well, including makeup, cleansers, and brushes, but this one’s still my favorite. It’s truly difficult to have too many of these. —Alex Erdekian, travel bookings editor
Ceremonia
Founded by Swedish Latina Babba C. Rivera, Ceremonia is a clean hair care brand inspired by the beauty rituals of the Latinx community. The first product I tried was the best-selling scalp oil, Aceite de Moska. The signature guava scent is deliciously addictive—not to mention, makes my hair feel healthier than it has in years—so I quickly switched over to the brand’s shampoo and conditioner as well. I, along with many of my friends at Traveler, swear by the Guava Rescue Spray, too. It’s a detangler with UV and heat protection, which has been a lifesaver both pre- and post-surf lessons this summer. —Mercedes Bleth, global associate director of social
Capittana
Peruvian brand Capittana, run by a brother and sister duo, creates the exact types of pieces you want to take on tropical vacations–bikinis, cover-ups, loungewear—most of which are hand-knit or crocheted by a team of women. All to say, they’re gorgeous, and few pieces are exactly the same. Capittana is stocked by a number of U.S. stores: Find the colorful and crocheted bikinis at Urban Outfitters, knit cover-up maxi skirts and pants at Bloomingdale’s, and a mix of resortwear at Intermix. Just be prepared to have people constantly asking about your outfit at the hotel pool. —M.S.
Farm Rio
For statement dresses that will make a splash on vacation, look no further than Farm Rio. The Rio de Janeiro–based brand makes fabulous dresses, jumpsuits, and two-piece sets in bright colors with effortlessly fun prints—think playful repeating hearts, fauna and animal patterns, and lots of florals. Back in 1997, the founders set out to make a clothing line that embodies the feminine spirit and vibrant colors of Rio, and in the more than two decades since they’ve built a cult-favorite brand that’s sold online, in its own boutiques across Brazil and in New York, L.A., Miami, and Paris, and at Nordstrom. —M.F.
Selva Negra
Selva Negra, which is founded by Mexican and Filipino American Kristen Gonzalez, makes the type of clothes I always dream of wearing on my travels. Picture flowy jumpsuits, linen dresses, ribbed cotton tanks, gauzy drawstring shorts, etc., all made in sustainable fabrics and soothing colorways (many styles range from XS to 4XL as well). You can shop Selva Negra on its website, and some select pieces—like the dreamy hibiscus pink linen pants and jacket—are available at Madewell, too. —M.S.
Wray
I came across Wray like I do with most exciting new brands: by scrolling through my Instagram feed. Named after founder Wray Serna, Wray quickly gained clout for its size-inclusive (XXS – 6XL) and sustainable designs, ethical practices, and the range of bold prints and bright colors that remain on an ongoing rotation. I’ve snagged a few pieces over the past year, but my favorite purchase has been the long-sleeved Tillmans dress—it’s become a go-to option for both work and parties. —Lale Arikoglu, articles director
Carla Fernández
Carla Fernández’s eponymous label is one of Mexico’s coolest, creating everything from tunics to jumpsuits to leather purses, often with bold details like macro prints or bright tassels. Her North Star is “preserving and revitalizing the textile legacy of indigenous and mestizo communities of Mexico.” She sells her stuff online, but I suggest stopping by one of her shops in Mexico City or her outpost in Mérida. Seeing the detail of her designs IRL makes the price point completely understandable. (The shops themselves are also gorgeous.) —M.S.
More great Latinx-owned brands to shop:
Courtesy Collectiva Concepción
Collectiva Concepción
With the mission to preserve the ancestral skills and way of life of rural Mexican artisans, Concepción Orvañanos began Collectiva Concepción in 2019, a luxury womenswear brand rooted in slow fashion. Orvañanos and head designer Huguette Hubard collaborate with over 230 artisans from 40 rural communities like the Poconichim community in Chiapas, a southern Mexican state bordering Guatemala, and the Mazahua communities in Michoacán to make the brand’s line of hand-loomed, cotton pieces, some of which feature pre-Hispanic design techniques. The result is a line of collectible heirlooms like the cotton Luciana dress made by the Venustiano Carranza community, also in Chiapas.
Courtesy Port Zienna/Sandra Arenas
Port Zienna
After working in luxury fashion for over 10 years and becoming dismayed by the industry’s pollution of the environment and exploitation of workers, Francesca Canepa launched Port Zienna in July 2017 with the desire to provide a healthy work environment, steady income, and flexibility to employees. Born in Lima, the designer uses Peruvian fibers like organic cotton and baby alpaca—both sustainable fabrics that minimize her line’s carbon footprint—to make her ready-to-wear brand from New York. Inspired by the haute couture draping tradition of the runway, one of the designer’s favorite pieces is the Maria shirt, a minimal, collared blouse comfortable enough for travel and made from cupro, a type of rayon, and organic cotton.
Courtesy Luiny
Luiny
Luiny Rivera, a Puerto Rican designer based in New York, left the Caribbean nearly 10 years ago to pursue her career as an artist. She first began experimenting with jewelry design while working in fashion retail, where she utilized waste by means of broken accessories, turning them into new, original designs. A mix of contemporary and eclectic styles inspired by ornamental art around the world, her eponymous line tells the story of Puerto Rico through its vibrant colors and undulating shapes evocative of the island’s land and sea. Like a sculptor, she hand carves most of her pieces from wax and utilizes a casting process to make pieces like her line of rings named after some of her favorite artists: Mondrian, Hilma, and Krasner.
Courtesy Mola Sasa
Mola Sasa
Yasmin Sabet began Mola Sasa nearly five years ago in Bogotá to bridge the gap between tradition and progress in Colombia’s fashion industry. To make her line of handbags, Sabet works with more than 80 artisan women, many of whom specialize in hand-weaving natural fibers like native estera palm leaves to form colorful totes and caña flecha and maguey to make hoop earrings. Of the brand’s most sought-after pieces are the colorful Kuna clutches, each of which depicts the culture, beliefs, and traditions of the Kuna communities in the jungles of northern Colombia who transmit their culture’s history into molas: a textile formed from an appliqué technique of hand sewing cut-out layers of fabric.
Courtesy Encrudo
Encrudo
When Ana Paula Isaac opened Encrudo in 2018, she both transformed and elevated Mexico’s ancestral pottery into ornamental display pieces. Her line of earth-toned, high-fired stoneware are made and sanded by hand and can be found in boutique hotels like the new Octavia Casa in the leafy Condesa district of Mexico City. Born from the need to accentuate spaces and valuing the individuality of objects with a decorative and utilitarian purpose, items like the botellon vase are handmade in partnership with Mexican craftsmen in Tonalá, a town set 45 minutes from Isaac’s hometown in Guadalajara in the western Mexican state of Jalisco.
Courtesy Facón
Facón
With the desire to share Argentina’s artistry with the world, Martín Bustamante opened the interior design store Facón in 2016, now set in the Chacarita neighborhood of Buenos Aires. He leads production on the brand’s proprietary line of goods, partnering with artisans from all over the country to create items like lengua-wood benches made by the Mapuche communities of Patagonia and jaguar and owl masks made from yuchan wood by the Chane community in the country’s rugged northwest. Inspired by the country’s gaucho culture, one of Bustamante’s most prized collaborations is his line of sol carpets; he paints watercolor designs and passes them on to a weaver based in Salta who looms each piece by hand.
Courtesy Flavia Aranha
Flavia Aranha
Since she created her eponymous line of contemporary women’s kimonos, jumpers, and accessories over 10 years ago, designer Flavia Aranha has become both a chemist and a botanist. Utilizing discarded plants, nuts, and seeds indigenous to Brazil, she experimented with natural-dyeing processes to stain organic linen, cotton, and silk, forming the first-ever natural-dye brand in the country. She also collaborates with artisans to create jewelry items like these beaded necklaces.
