Indigenous-owned cosmetics brand Ah-Shi Beauty stands for inclusivity [Video]

HOUSTON, Texas — An Indigenous-owned skincare and cosmetics brand is leading the way on inclusivity.

Ah-Shi Beauty features a wide range of beauty products inclusive to all skin tones. Founder Ahsaki LaFrance Chachere grew up on the Navajo Nation reservation in Beshbeto, Arizona, and says her Native-American heritage inspired her to create her own brand in 2012.

“Like many people of color – like many people on the reservation – we never had a brand that truly we can relate to,” said LaFrance Chachere. “We never saw ourselves in any major fashion or beauty campaigns.”

Her business initially was online-only, but Ah-Shi Beauty eventually opened a showroom and distribution center in Gallup, New Mexico, and a storefront in Window Rock, Arizona, which is the capital of the Navajo Nation.

“Ah Shi in Navajo – in Dine – means ‘this is me, this is mine.’ I named the beauty brand Ah-Shi because when you …