The best nail artists can conjure a universe in the small space just above your cuticle.
Jess Young is a master manicurist, crafting pink and yellow leopard print, Jamaican flags, eyeballs and more… And another thing that sets her apart is that she caters to all genders.
Boys in Polish is a platform Jess set up to share the stories of boys and men whose nails she has transformed. Loving the Boys In Polish concept, Emily Scarlett Romain shot a series of stills for BIP, featuring Jess along with some of her clients and friends. Without prompting, the gang all showed up in gorgeously kaleidoscopic garments. The images, set against lush green early summer grass, pop with colour and exude real warmth.
The BIP ethos of creative self care comes through in the way Emily captures the subjects’ ease with themselves and each other, heightened by a relaxed, playful framing. This is a glimpse into the kind of truly inclusive world we aspire towards. A world where every individual is free to find joy and community through beauty, expressing on the outside who they are on the inside.
“These images are about showing the community Jess has built around her. It was a really joyful shoot. You could tell she had created this safe space for boys and men to feel themselves.”
Emily Scarlett RomainCredits:
Photography – Emily Scarlett Romain
Nail Artist and Founder of Boys In Polish – Jess Young
BIP Crew – Hidhir Badaruddin
BIP Crew – Diogo Demétrio
