Lil Yachty Launches Gender-Inclusive Nail Polish Brand

With CRETE, the rapper opens new avenues to self-expression.

Gender barriers in the beauty market are beginning to dissolve, as evidenced by a surge of gender-neutral nail polish brands, sometimes spearheaded by music and style icons. Still, there’s a long way to go before people of all genders feel comfortable expressing themselves through their nails. Trevor Wilkinson, a 17-year-old student in Texas, was recently suspended from school for wearing nail polish, revealing the persistence of these harmful gendered beauty norms. Wilkinson’s story stood out to rapper Lil Yachty, who publicly defended the student. Now, Yachty has introduced nail polish as the newest of his many business ventures.

CRETE, the nail polish brand from the Atlanta rapper, is designed for all genders and aims to encourage limitless self-expression. Its ethos acknowledges something we all know to be true: gender norms in beauty are outdated and unnecessary. And it’s about more than just the right to wear nail polish (though that is well worth fighting for); as Wilkinson explained, such divisions enforce homophobic beauty standards. Yachty shares this belief and stated, “If someone wants to express themself in any type of way, as long as it’s not harming anyone or bringing anyone down, they should be allowed to do so… You shouldn’t be punished or tormented for being you.”

The first colors from CRETE will be available on May 21. Sign up here for early access and news about the brand.

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