It was a simple Instagram post, a lightly hued portrait of pop princess Ariana Grande looking demurely at the camera, she’s dressed in an oversized cream-colored sweatshirt, the neatly written words on her shirt are framed by her long auburn hair, the words read; CryBaby. That simple post catapulted the CryBaby brand into the stratosphere, as every Grande devotee clamored to own a piece from the eclectic clothing line. But what draws Grande and other leading celebrities to the L.A based brand?

The answer to that question might lie in the message of the brand as well as its cool-girl aesthetic. CryBaby wears its heart on the sleeve of its comfy 90’s inspired sweatshirts. The brand shares the message that it’s ok to cry and embraces the beauty in vulnerability. This positive message as well as carefully curated but effortlessly styled fashion pieces seem to have caught the attention of some of the biggest names in female pop. CryBaby counts Madison Beer and Addison Rae as well as Grande among their fans. These notable names have been independently supporting and promoting the brand by sporting fashions and accessories that they’ve bought from CryBaby.

CryBaby was launched by Esma Ilyas in 2018 at the age of twenty-one. The young entrepreneur first entered the world of fashion by making chokers and other hand-made jewelry pieces that she sold on Tumblr. Esma is also the co-founder of Ivory Ella a charity-focused brand that works with Save the Elephants donating 10% of every sale to help the organization in its conservation efforts. CryBaby’s growth expands daily through its tight-knit community of Instagram followers and its celebrity fans who are helping to spread the brand’s positive message of self-love.