Once again it's on!
The holidays are here, which means holiday shopping is on the horizon. Yaassss!
Since 2016, when we handed out a list of dope things you can find on Etsy from black businesses, the crafty chicas with the popping melanin have unholstered their glue guns, and went to work. Etsy is lit this year, folks! I just might have saved you a trip from walking across a mall that's as large as NRG Stadium, where the Houston Texans play. (By the way, it's a large ass stadium.)
From silk ankara patterned pillow cases, to t-shirts that speaks your language, check out some of the best in Black Etsy, and get to know the owners.
1. Silk and cotton ankara pillowcase from OBIKATextiles ($27.60)
8.Silk and cotton ankara pillowcase from OBIKATextiles ($27.60)
This Etsy shop just showed up to the Black Etsy party in 2017, and her shop is popping. Pamela's the owner, and she's operating in London, and her shop exhibits very fly ankara patterned purses and throw pillows. Shop OBIKATextiles here.
7.Ankara patterned throw pillow from eightlifestyle ($17.50)
Sharna is the owner of eightlifestyle, and her fashions are very reflective of the bold and vibrant colored fashion you would find in Ghana. Her throw pillows and headwraps are lively, and fly in style. You're going to love shopping on her page.
About why she calls her shop eightlifestyle, she said:
Since relocating to Ghana the number "8" is of great significance to Sharna as "8" is often associated with regeneration or the beginning of a new era.
I am forever inspired by shapes, prints, the eclectic styles of the peoples I bump into on the streets of BK. Tribes women, mother, aunts, granny, friend, daughters all inspire my line. The energy of my ancestors, pure love of a home continent that I have yet to smell, touch and see in this time fuel much of the works.
Shop eightlifstyle here.
6.Urban Girl doll by Felt And Fennel ($60)
This is absolutely the cutest doll I've seen in a very long time. This handmade item is 16 inches in length, and features a faux fur vest, wool yarn hair, and cotton clothing. If it isn't cute enough, you can also add a special message to the person receiving this gift. *swoon*
Olivia White, the shop's owner, said that making dolls for black girls to celebrate is truly a labor of love.
I want to to create beautiful, high quality dolls that celebrate the beauty and diversity of the African Diaspora and black/African American hair so that others can see themselves represented and celebrated in my dolls. I pay special attention to combining colors, patterns, and textures, making each piece unique, exclusive, and a work of art.
Shop Felt and Fennel here.
5.Rise From The Concrete - wall art inspired by Solange's A Seat At The Table album ($60)
This wall art is exceptional!
Nonie, the artist behind this masterpiece, operates out of New Jersey, and she said that this mixed media piece was inspired after she listened to Solange's latest album, A Seat At The Table. As far as the message behind the piece, Nonie said:
My original drawing is called "Rise from the Concrete." because it is about rising from adversity and rising to your full potential. You are the rose from concrete, even if you are a work in progress or have scars
Shop Rise From Concrete here.
4.Viviane Go - AURORE Fascinator by Ziindya ($227.59)
Well since there's a new princess among us black girls, we may as well make sure we have some fly looking fascinators for this spring's royal wedding. It looks like Ziindya has us covered in that area.
This beautiful piece of headwear is made of dashiki fabric, peacock feathers, pheasant feathers, and cotton.
The shop's owner must be a magician, because her pieces are pure magic.
Shop Ziindya here.
3.Angela Davis Tee from Black Heritage Tees ($22.99)
Black Heritage Tees have been on Etsy since 2011, but they persisted, and saw an increase of sales this year. Hey now!
I love this shirt shop. You'll see shirts that boasts images of Pam Grier, Colin Kaepernick, Billie Holiday, and of course, Angela Davis.
Lisa, the shops owner, said:
This beautiful collection of Cultural Designs was inspired by the challenges and victories of some of our greatest African-Americans.The sacrifices they made yesterday have shaped the world in which we live today. Their uncommon strength and courage forever lives within us.
Shop Black Heritage Tees here.
2.Queens Stand Up Luggage Bag (49.99)
If you're looking to start a conversation while traveling, this would be that bag to purchase.
According to their shop, this handmade item is durable, water-resistant, and is made of high-grade waterproof fabric, with microfiber leather.
Zana, who operates her shop out of Sugar Land, Texas, has really cute handmade items that you will simply adore, especially if you belong to a sorority. Check out the name badge holders, and greeting cards, in her Etsy shop.
Shop here.
1.Women In African Print Fashion Adult Coloring Book ($9.99)
I'm swooning already! The book features 30 pages of black women looking queenly in African print textiles that's sure to make your imagination run wild!
The shop boasts beautiful handmade artwork that's sure to make you feel happy. Take a look.
Shop here.
Did I miss any? If you're a black woman business owner operating on Etsy, drop the link the comments so we can browse your merchandise.
RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Last year, our inaugural It Girl 100 list featured the best of the best in their regions. This year, we are highlighting women from each field. Their impact can be felt across multiple industries as they continue to use their voices to uplift those around them.
The Category Is... Culture & Entertainment:
Culture and entertainment continues to be one of the most popular industries for creative women. Whether it's comedy or singing, these ladies keep the culture buzzing and timelines lit.
The Category Is... Sports & Wellness:
With the renewed interest in the WNBA, women are showing we can dominate in any field. Women are making waves in sports and wellness due to their strength, innovation, and determination.
The Category Is... Style Innovators:
From Instagram to Pinterest, these women are on our mood boards. Their love for beauty, hair, and fashion translates in their work and inspires others to be their best selves.
The Category Is... Business:
There's nothing like a woman about her business. From signing checks to closing deals, women are taking ambition to a new level.
The Category Is... Viral Voices:
Whenever they speak, people listen proving they can move mountains with their voices alone. You can find these women on the internet keeping us entertained and/or informed.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list here.
Featured image by xoStaff