Entrepreneur Nonie Creme ’90 to Give 2016 Commencement Address

Nonie Creme '88 will give this year's Commencement address.
Nonie Creme ’90 will give this year’s Commencement address.

A beauty business entrepreneur with a focus on color and irreverence, Nonie Creme ’90 will be the speaker at Williston Northampton School’s 175th Commencement on Sunday, May 29, 2016. Creme was Founding Creative Director of prestige cosmetics brand Butter London and took a chance on the mass market when she left it to create Nonie Creme Color Prevails in 2015. The line is sold at Walgreens and Duane Reed drug stores across the country.

“I have taken enormous risks, even though coming out of Butter London, I was a known entity and so many doors were open to me,” Creme said. “I am historically known for prestige, very expensive cosmetics and nail polish. With this company, I decided I wanted to take a leap of faith that I could get, over time, [upmarket makeup store chain] Sephora and department store consumers to come shop for their beauty products at the drug store.”

The risk seems to be paying off. “A lot of people said, ‘You’re crazy.’ If you screw up at prestige, you can always sell your stuff down at [the] mass [market],” she said. “If you screw up at mass, you’re done. I said, no, I’m doing this. I’m tasking myself with shifting a huge paradigm around the way people view their drug store. I have a strong gut and a strong vision and I’m highly intuitive as a businessperson. I trust myself.”

Creme hails from Houston, TX, and came to Williston Northampton School as a troubled teen with decent grades. “It’s no secret that I was a terrible teenager. Just a total hell-raiser.” At Williston she became enamored with the punk aesthetic and underwent a transformation from an unsophisticated girl who didn’t know how to do her own laundry to an independent young woman who dressed as a goth and frequented New York City’s punk venues during breaks from school. It was also at Williston that she developed her identity as an artist. “Really, I can credit Williston and [art teacher] Marcia Reed for giving me a safe, open environment in which to become an artist and to explore art in a way that I had never done before.”

As for advice for graduating seniors, Creme may emphasize the need to put oneself on the line. “Be prepared to take calculated risks,” she said, “but those risks have to be significant.” And to quote Colour Prevails’ website, “There are no mistakes, only experiments.”

The Commencement ceremony will take place under a tent in front of the Reed Campus Center, starting at 9:30 a.m., and will include the graduation of 133 members of the Class of 2016. The Reed Campus Center is located at 40 Park Street, Easthampton.

4 thoughts on “Entrepreneur Nonie Creme ’90 to Give 2016 Commencement Address”

  1. Is this going to be on the Cube so that peoe Re able to hear her comments to the 2016 Williston Graduates.

  2. I attented my first graduation to a private school this pass weekend as my nephew graduated. I’m a very proud Aunt that traveled from Texas to see this event. I was quite impressed with the school and the quaint little city in which it resides.

    I also Loved the guest speaker Ms Nonie! What an Excellent Speech and truly from the “gut” and Heart I must say! It appeared the Kids enjoyed and Listen as well as it was followed by a standing ovation by them! It was definitely “well received” in spike of a few choice words (I was not offended)!!

    My first complaint tho is…I was Very Disappointed in the fact the Kids did Not wear “Cap & Gowns”??? I’m not sure what the reasoning behind this is but for the Amount of Money it takes to go to a private school…I was Shocked!!!! Especially since all the Teachers “Paraded” in with their Gowns on!! I truly thought that was an INSULT to the kids that have worked so hard for 4 years to get the opportunity to wear their own. And, some may not go to college so this was their one and only time and you-Willston took that away from them!!! AND, No “Pom and Circumstance”?!? What the Hell??? Yes, the Bag Pipes were nice BUT, you my friends took all that Graduation IS and turned it into something for You not these Kids that look forward to graduating for 4 years!!!

    “Disappointed Aunt from Texas”
    M. DeGlandon

    1. We’re sorry to hear you were disappointed in the lack of caps and gowns! I will forward your comments on. And we’re glad you enjoyed the guest speaker!

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