Paloma Danger seeks to make space for those on an earth friendly journey who simply can't live without the joy of COLOR.
Our Values
Paloma Danger is a Latina-owned handmade brand that supports women of color in the field of sustainability. We support WOC owned businesses in every way we can.
I want to shout from the rooftops that you can be a vibrant and colorful person who is proud of your culture while also being earth friendly.
Paloma Danger is all about meeting each person where they are right now. Sustainability looks different for all of us and that is a very beautiful thing. This earth cannot heal if we all take the exact same path. No matter where you are on your journey, we're here for you.
About Paloma and is my last name really Danger?
HI! Paloma Danger was created by me, Ixchel Paloma Lechuga. (so my middle name isn't Danger after all).
TLDR;
* I've had several handmade businesses, including 2 retail shops, over the last 18 years.
* I'm from the San Fernando Valley, California
* I lived in small town Oregon for 15 years
* I spent a year in Tokyo, and it was transformative
* I'm an animal lover
* I will never stop making
Making is in my blood. I started my first business in 2006 while dressing mannequins for Baby Gap in San Francisco. It was my rad boss who first asked me to join her at a craft fair. She sold Barbie shoe earrings and I sold the pocketed aprons that I made for everyone on the merchandising team. That experience had me hooked.
My first business was called Polly Danger. Polly was the nickname my cousins gave me as a shortening of Paloma. And Danger- well Polly Dangerous is what my uncle called me when I joined a punk band in high school. The punk band was short lived but the name stuck.
I started making tote bags, pouches, wallets, and jewelry. All in similar colors to what you now see at Paloma Danger. I evolved, and after having a baby I just did not want to sell accessories anymore. I wanted to make things that contributed something positive to the world. So I started selling the things I was already making for myself: colorful eco friendly products that could not be found in stores.
As I became part of the sustainable movement, I discovered not only a lack of representation for all people of color in the green movement, but homogenization and harsh judgement for those who dare to step outside its oatmeal-colored boundaries.
It's the judgement that curdled my milk. I'm not here for it. So I made it my mission to put color first.
When I first started making reusable sponges and napkins, there wasn't much color to be found in eco-friendly products. Greenwashing was, and IS real. And it has convinced a whole generation that unless you buy X product, you are not an eco-friendly person. Which is bullshit. You do not need an eco-friendly stamp on something to be eco-conscious. You get to choose how you want to make your mark. We all have different constraints and pressures- that doesn't mean you don't care about our planet.
I absolutely love sharing my message that you can be colorful *and* eco-conscious, and I'm SO excited to have you here.
