In celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary, NAILCON has announced a new campaign titled “Without Us,” which will highlight Black women nail artists and curators from New York City. Said campaign is designed to put a spotlight on the accomplishments of those who have been marginalized within the nail art community. The four honorees that will be featured throughout are Dawn Sterling, Telly Talons, Honey Nailz, and Melissa Samuels.
Via press release, NAILCON founder Jazmine Gresham spoke on the initiative. “We are excited to celebrate the work of these talented Black women nail artists and curators who have been instrumental in shaping the beauty industry,” she said. “Through our platform, we hope to give these artists the recognition they deserve and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”
On Wednesday (May 17), the “Without Us” campaign will kick off with a dinner for the artists, media, and influencers — notable peers like Sean Garrette, Kyle Bryan, Precious Lee, Karl Payton, and Dana Scruggs will be in attendance. The next day (May 18), NAILCON will host a private viewing for an art gallery series that features the works of the aforementioned honorees, all of whom will take part in a “Nails With Cocktails” fireside chat, meet and greet, and more. Said series will become public from May 19 to May 20 — tickets for that can be found here.
NAILCON is a digital start-up platform that focuses on beauty, lifestyle, and nails. As explained by Gresham on its official website, the overall aim is to connect enthusiasts and professionals within the beauty industry and provide engrossing content. “I strive to highlight women and artists alike who respect the art as well as the craft; to always speak of nails in a positive and accepting light,” her message reads. “It’s letting the public know that a bright shade of color or a dope nail design is completely acceptable in the work environment and a great boss can don a killer nail set with ease.”