Focus On: J.Hannah

S/S '22

Time to get our sophisticated manicure game on. This is a carefully-edited collection of high quality nail polishes for the colour-resistant.

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J. Hannah

If you err on the subtle side, can’t quite embrace a hectic pink or a glittery copper and want your nails to signal a classy, elegant individual, these are nail varnishes for you. Founded by Los Angeles jewellery designer Jess Hannah, the palette is inspired by artists, natural elements, flavours and assorted muses. All polishes are non-toxic and cruelty free and free of the Big Three (also known as the ‘toxic trio’, this refers to Toluene, Formaldehyde, and Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP).The highly-pigmented colours imagine colour as the embodiment of a mood; a fun yet chic layer to a wardrobe of neutrals or more classic pieces.

The Pinks

Agnes is named for the artist Agnes Martin (part of the generation of American Abstract Expressionists but marked by her more measured aesthetic. Think large painted canvases, covered with meticulously penciled grids and finished with a thin layer of gesso. Sorry Art History lesson over. My degree will out). For the purposes of nail colour this is the subtlest putty/cherry blossom pink.

Akoya is a delicate lustre and the only transparent shade, offering a golden sheen at just the right angles. Akoya is the Japanese word for pearl.

Himalayan Salt influenced by Richard Tuttle’s Light Pink Octagon from 1967 (and that’s pretty obscure) is a beautiful quartzy, crystally pink; just the right side of nude and not too girly.

Saltillo is the colour of chalky earth and coahuila clay (Coahuila is in Mexico since you ask). This is a rich corally terracotta.

The Greens

Artichoke, named for the architectural flower with the tender heart, this is a soft and gentle green.

Eames is described as an earthy chartreuse. This is a true mid century green. Think upholstery on a classic Charles and Ray Eames chair.

Patina. This colour is inspired by Symbolic maturity, Creme de lichen and an oxidized finish.

The Blues

Blue Nudes is another dream colour for an art historian. Inspired by Paul Matisse’s painting from 1907, this is a strong (but not Yves Klein blue strong) blue.

The Browns

Carob and we love the inspiration for this colour. Who can resist a pain au chocolat? With a side order of bittersweet coffee and walnut. Deep brown. Luscious.

Dune and it’s as if this whole collection is referencing my university education. With Thelma and Louise (memories of my dissertation) and The Sheltering Sky cited as references, this is a colour of windblown sand and desert solitude. And profits from sales of this colour go to a changing roster of human rights charities.

Ikebana is cool and moody, with a nod to Isamu Noguchi’s Cage Vase and drawing from Richard Tuttle’s Purple and Shadow graphite and watercolour.

Hepworth and we’re leaving the American artists behind and it’s all about Modern British artists. This is a warm brown, referencing Barbara Hepworth’s wood carvings and Victor Pasmore’s early 1960s abstract paintings.

Ghost Ranch. This colour is inspired by Red rock, Southwestern shadow and Painted desert.