Amor Collective gives Latina-owned businesses a place to grow in downtown Phoenix

PHOENIX — There’s a place in downtown Phoenix that beats to the rhythm of Latin culture, art and sisterhood. It’s called Amor Collective, an incubator space for 37 Latina business brands, bakers and artists.

“It allows businesses to come in, to test their businesses, to scale it and continue to create positive impact in our communities,” explained founder and CEO Stephanie Vasquez.

As you walk through the storefront near First Avenue and Roosevelt Street, you immediately understand the unique concept of Amor, which is named after the Spanish word for love.

On the shelves that line the perimeter and through the aisles, you’ll find thousands of specially curated items, the majority of which are handmade. None of the products at Amor Collective are mass produced.

“There’s something very powerful, being surrounded by these many business owners,” remarked Vasquez while proudly pointing to the art surrounding her.

Each business at Amor Collective tells a story

Hanging from the brick walls are black signs that display the names of each business. On each array of products sits a card with a photo and a bio that gives the shopper a peek into the person behind the unique pieces they sell.

One of those cards bears the name Candles and Shoap, a business owned by Erika Estrada. On the table are dozens of colorful candles made from non-toxic materials, inside unique Mexican decorated pottery.

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“That way after you’re done burning the candle, you can use the mug for your coffee, salsa or anything you’d like,” Estrada said.

While holding up a black clay mug with a black Talavera design, she described the smell she calls “cafe de olla,” a traditional Mexican coffee that is mixed with spices like brown sugar, cinnamon and star anise.

“I want people to feel like I felt arriving at my grandma’s home in Guerrero, Mexico, smelling the coffee and drinking it with a pan dulce,” Estrada said, using the Spanish term for Mexican pastries.

Items sold at Amor Collective highlight Latino culture

Amor Collective is a cultural shop offering gifts like jewelry, clothing, hats, essential oils, mugs, pottery and food products, to name a few. Each piece highlights parts of Latino culture.

Carmen Guerrero and her daughter run a business there called Carmen Creations, where she hopes to honor her ancestors and bring her special culture to Phoenix shoppers.

“I bead with glass beads and make jewelry to empower powerful women,” Guerrero said while pointing to dozens of ornate and colorful beaded earrings, necklaces, bracelets and shawls.

She began beading at the age of five with her grandmother in Brazil: “That stayed with me.”

For Amy Mendoza Lizarraga, art is about reinvention. Her AVRA shop at Amor Collective features upcycled pieces of clothing, with delicately joined mismatched fabrics that create one-of-a-kind statement pieces. She also sells handmade silver jewelry, canvas totes and beaded lighters.

One image taking a prominent role in her fashion line is “la Virgen de Guadalupe,” referring to the Virgin Mary.

“It’s an image that brings me a lot of peace, gratitude and safety,” Mendoza Lizarraga said.

Her mother believed the Virgin Mary would look over her, no matter how far they are from each other, she explained.

“If I can share that with my customers, my community, it’s important to allow them to feel the safety and confidence I feel with each piece,” she added.

Amor Collective founder has other business ventures

Amor Collective debuted in Peoria in 2022 and relocated to downtown Phoenix last month.

Running a business is part of founder Vasquez’ DNA. She is the founder and owner of Fair Trade Cafe, which after 18 years is the longest-standing Latina-owned coffee shop in downtown Phoenix.

“That journey as an entrepreneur was not easy … so Amor Collective is really an outcome of so many different experiences in my own entrepreneurial journey,” she explained.

By offering the retail space with high foot traffic, resources, mentoring and eliminating the investment needed in licensing and overhead costs, Vasquez believes she has created a model to support growth.

“We’re mitigating the risk,” she said.

She also created the nonprofit ELLA (Empowering Latina Leaders in Arizona) to create opportunities for Latinas to thrive.

“There’s nothing more powerful when women come together in a space of love and positivity and create together,” she remarked.

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