São Paulo

Ariel learned to cut hair in prison and developed the most famous hair-cut in Brazil: “Blindado”. The most resistant cut, able to resist even a motorcycle passing-by. Today he travels the world to spread the essence of Brazilian favelas cuts, a styled called "chavosos".

OG favela gear from south side of São Paulo. Worn by the real ones, from artists to rappers. They also have a community bar and football team.

A Brazilian Indigenous Afro brand led by Isaac Silva. Genderless democratic fashion for all kinds of bodies. Haute couture is also present in its DNA, all handmade by the stylist Isaac Silva himself.

Led by Cameroonian Melanito Biyouha, this stylish African eatery uses spices to make their food with love. The environment welcomes everyone as a family. Each employee who passes through the kitchen ends up recreating the dishes of their land (the extensive menu has more than 40 options with different kind of flavours from Africa).

Working as a fashion designer for more than 10 years, Luiz Cláudio, is filled with the desire to build an amazing and intricate fashion label, characterised by the use of manual techniques and precious fabrics worthy of a couture atelier.

Lu Safro is an incredible hair designer who creates true masterpieces and owns a saloon in the heart of downtown, near the iconic Galeria Rock. She usually does hair styling for the most important fashion shows in São Paulo Fashion Week, always alongside her daughter, Mika Safro, the most relevant young beauty artist in the emerging fashion scene.

Amazing vegan cuisine created by Congolese refugee Pitchou Luambo, with the help of his daughter Marie Luambo. "The basis of African gastronomy is vegetables, which we need to demystify that there is meat in our kitchen, a habit that was practically acquired only in Brazil when our ancestors arrived here".

Cacau Brito doesn’t do nails, she does art. Much demanded by the most relevant artists in the rap scene, and using several techniques combined to reach its perfection in composing unique and memorable nails. Nail Queen? definitely.

Bar do Biu is an absolute classic and is the headquarters of Corinthians soccer team fans in the west of São Paulo. That typical Brazilian-style bar, serving the best Northeastern dishes & traditional feijoada every day.

Jardin do Centro is a plant shop and cafeteria in Downtown. They occupy 2 floors of a building hosting a film room, a co-working space and promotes black artists thought events and exhibitions.

Black-Owned Businesses in São Paulo

Desta French

London

Whenever I’m in the mood for Ecuadorian food, this is the spot. You have to try the ceviche there.

Latin village is like stepping into an actual indoor market in Colombia. I love it. It's filled with small local Latin businesses currently In litigations with the council who are trying to close it down so they build flats there. What’s new. 

Where I go for hair/nails. Really good empanadas and gossip. Run by my friend, STEPHANIE SANTIAGO, who is also a very talented Colombian, London-based Soul Artist.

Nice cocktails, food and a place to pick up a @LATINOLIFE magazine with all the latest news on Latin culture in the city.

Every Latino In London knows La Caleñita. It's a famous bakery where you can find all kinds of cheesy breads and yumminess.

There are a bunch of places to eat here and really feel the culture living alongside other ethnic communities which is so nice to see. You have to have a cholada from Brixton Village. It's tropical fruity icey buffness, you have to try it to understand.

La Vida Loca is another mini Latin Mall consisting of hairdressers, barber shop, nail parlour and masseuse on one floor and a Colombian bakery/restaurant along with other multi services for the community.

Discover London's Latino Spots with Desta French

Isaac Kimbugwe

Amsterdam

When I first moved to Amsterdam from London back in 2014, the first people who showed me the ropes in the city were Daily Paper co-founders Hussein Suleiman, Jefferson Osei, and Abderrahmane Trabsini who grew on to become my family. In 2016 Daily Paper’s first flagship store opened and since then has served as more than just amazing clothing, but also a hub for ingenious people from all walks of life to come together, hang out and share similar passion points. What makes this place unique is that you'll always feel welcome and directly get to know the people behind the brand.

Foam is an internationally renowned Amsterdam museum that exhibits all genres of photography in a beautiful canal-side setting on the Keizersgracht. The museum presents ever changing exhibitions and all kinds of photographic genres are shown, such as historical photographs, art photographs, news photos and fashion photographs. As well as displaying a wide variety of works, it acts as a creative hub where photographers can meet and participate in forums and symposiums. I first fell in love with this place when my good friend Mirelva Berghout, who is project cordinator at Foam invited me to enjoy a special viewing of the exhibition Gordon Parks - I Am You.

What you might get to know from me is that I’m all about supporting friends and their ventures, no matter the industry. You’ll most likely catch me hanging at friends' stores, offices, exhibitions, restaurants etc. This usually takes me over to Mendo located in the Berenstraat, which is one of the 9 Streets in the heart of Amsterdam. My close friend (Gunifort Uwambaga) is the publisher and co-owner.
Mendo is a candy store for book aficionados. It has a comprehensive stocklist of streetwear and fashion coffee table books that are both super informative and look great out on display. As I’m always in and out of London and Paris, my last pick up was the collection of ‘The Streets of…’ It's a series of books that offer a contemporary take on the classic city photo-book and contain: The Streets of: New York, London, Amsterdam and Paris. 

The Fitting Room is home to one of my favourite contemporary fashion and streetwear brands, ØLÅF Hussein, who marries technical features and sharp minimal silhouettes. Located in Amsterdam’s bustling 9 Streets shopping district, this beautiful space is on the ground level of an early 17th century warehouse with existing wooden ceiling beams, herringbone flooring plants and comfortable furniture. This is all intended to give the store the feeling of a living room and embody the timeless design of the modernist movement.

To be honest, Amsterdam Chinatown is one of the areas of Amsterdam I dread to go simply due to…. tourists, yet I find always myself there for Zeedjik 60. A multi-brand store of Amsterdam's finest young and independent labels: Bonne Suits, The New Originals, SMIB and Secluded Clothing

Best pancakes in town and another cool spot I and my friends like to hang. You can find a signature Daily Paper pancake on the menu as well. 

A Tremaine classic… a wavey 1.5 with the grain, skin fade and a beard shape up. At the back of the Daily Paper store you’ll find a barbering concept titled Day Studios. It's a one of a kind full men's grooming experience. The store is redesigned to emphasise a concept where fashion and barbering come together to give you a 360 experience. 

Personally for me the South-East of Amsterdam is a refreshing view of the city that I feel many have not had the pleasure to visit and explore when they come here. Amsterdam Bijlmer is a place where different ethnicities not only understand the challenges that face them, but unite and help each other which reminds me of how I grew up in South London. With a mix of 100,000 residents from 150 ethnic backgrounds, predominantly African and Caribbean, I really feel at home whenever I’m here. Every Saturday the Ganzenhoef Bijlmer market takes place and I like to come here and get my African ingredients and flavours. There are also a number of Afro-Caribbean salons and stores catered to black hair and skin in the area where I like to pick up my oils and creams. 

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