Black-owned luxury and “clean” skin-care brand Novara launched at Nordstrom on Wednesday, intentionally timed to the start of Mental Health Awareness Month.
Founded and self-funded by Reshona Jessamy, Noavara entered the market in September 2023 with an e-commerce site and a focus on bridging the gap between beauty and mental health. Its inaugural collection, the Waterfall line, targets hydration and every product label includes positive affirmations and encouragements for consumers to create affirmations of their own. The products retail for $48-$110, with the full set of five products selling for $380.
Novara’s website lists over 2,200 harmful substances that aren’t included in its product formulations. And 20% of its proceeds are donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Jessamy declined to share revenue.
According to Jessamy, when she pitched Novara to Nordstrom executives in December 2023, it was the brand’s focus on mental health and product development that sold the company. “[Nordstrom’s] mission is to make women feel good and look good, and that’s exactly what I’m doing with this brand — our values truly align,” she said.
“We feel Novara will resonate with customers for its plant-based product offering, as well as its commitment to physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, which is essential to beauty,” Debra Redmond, vp and dmm for beauty at Nordstrom, told Glossy in a statement.
The link between mental health and beauty has never been stronger, as a record number of teens in the U.S. are experiencing mental health challenges. To destigmatize the mental health conversation, brands like Selena Gomez-backed Rare Beauty, Maybelline, Dove and BIPOC-founded Selfmade have made it a focus of their brand’s mission and messaging.
Kicking off the retail partnership, the Novara line launched on Nordstrom.com and in 10 Nordstrom doors in U.S. markets including New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Tampa. Jessamy said selling through Nordstrom will help Novara gain critical insights into its community and their shopping behaviors for future campaigns.
“We want to make sure that this partnership is successful,” Jessamy said. “That means we’re starting small to learn [how to succeed in] retail and work out the kinks. … We want to grow responsibly and profitably as we [work] to become a legacy brand.”
Novara plans to add an eye cream and a retinol serum to its assortment this year. Next year, it will introduce a collection for anti-aging.
Jessamy is in the process of hiring a field team that will go into the 10 Nordstrom locations to educate consumers and Nordstrom beauty associates. Until the brand begins its first fundraising round later this year, Jessamy plans to rely on Nordstrom’s in-house agency for most of its digital marketing. The primary goal for the funding, for which Jessamy is targeting VC firms, is to expand the brand’s internal team, including hiring a CMO, as well as to streamline its operations and expand its retail footprint.
Nordstrom’s efforts to amplify diverse and emerging brands and designers date back nearly a decade. In 2017, Nordstrom launched Space Lab, an incubator program to support and showcase emerging brands. Past participants include Marine Serre, Sandy Liang and A.W.A.KE. Mode. In 2020, Nordstrom joined the 15 Percent Pledge, which called on big-box retailers to add more Black-owned brands to their shelves. The company’s most recent earnings, released in March, revealed fourth-quarter 2023 earnings of $134 million, up 2% year-over-year. Executives credited beauty as one of the biggest growth drivers.
