Pear Nova Celebrates Women Empowerment with Inclusive Wakanda-Inspired Luxury Nail Collection

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re proud to continue shining a spotlight on women and Black-owned businesses and licensees that have produced products inspired by Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This week, we’re spotlighting Pear Nova, a Chicago-based luxury nail care company that produces cruelty-free products for all skin and nail tones.

Pear Nova has become a prominent name in the beauty industry due to the team’s core values of artistry, inclusivity, responsibility and advocacy. Founder Rachel James created Pear Nova in 2012 after she noticed a lack of representation of medium to deep skin tones in the nail and beauty industry. She strove to inspire self-expression and self-care with vegan, non-toxic nail care products and a great variety of nail shades.

When Rachel was contacted with an opportunity to collaborate on a Wakanda-inspired line, she was very enthusiastic. “Honestly, I didn’t know if it was real or not when I first read the message,” Rachel said. “It was a dream!” Her team immediately got to work creating a limited-edition collection to celebrate the release of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Rachel’s favorite part was undoubtedly having the opportunity to create a product line for one of her favorite films and simultaneously work with Chicago-based nail artist Spifster, one of her favorite artists. Of the seven designs Spifster created for the line, three were chosen by Rachel’s team “I love seeing the process of ideas come to life and turn out even better than anticipated,” she shared. “It’s been so exciting and fulfilling to see our longtime supporters be proud of this collection and to reach new supporters who are lovers of nail art and Marvel Studios’ Black Panther.”

To ensure that the products authentically reflect the film, the Pear Nova team studied Marvel Studios’ Black Panther with a focus on the garments, makeup, hair, and character personalities. “Seeing Okoye, Shuri, and Nakia’s preference in outer appearance combined with their personalities, we were able to truly envision how they would like their nails to look,” Rachel explained. Pear Nova also worked closely with package designer Charles Andre Thomas to bring the packaging to life and ensure that the look and feel of Wakanda was seen and felt throughout.

Pear Nova is not just a beauty brand, but a community dedicated to female empowerment. Named in honor of Rachel’s eternal sister-in-love Nova Henry, the brand is devoted to supporting and promoting domestic violence awareness and mental health awareness through community outreach and online content. “Throughout her life, Nova inspired our company’s core values,” Rachel said. “We honor her spirit through our efforts to uplift and protect women.”