Dream of working backstage at Fashion Week? Discover how session manicurist Ella Vivii built her career, plus the nail training courses that can help you develop your skills and shape your future in nails.
Salon owner. Nail artist. Educator. Content creator. Session manicurist. Your nail career can be whatever you make it. Starting a career in nails isn’t just about learning how to create a flawless manicure. It’s about building a skill that could open the door to a whole world of opportunities.
Whether you dream of running your own diary, opening a salon, creating scroll-stopping nail art or working behind the scenes at fashion shoots and shows, there’s no single route to success. If you’re stuck on what path you want to take, check out our
blog on career pathways for nail technicians to find your dream role.
Remember, you don’t have to decide on just one. Your career can grow and evolve with you. The skills you start building today could take you somewhere you haven’t even considered yet.
At TGB Academy, we’re here to help you build the skills, knowledge and confidence to find yours.
Already set on becoming a session manicurist? Read on...
Session and celebrity manicurist, Ella Vivii, is proof of just how far a passion for nails can take you.
Ella started doing her own nails during lockdown after being trained by her mum. Ella began testing designs and sharing them online. As they gained attention, opportunities followed, including invitations to work on editorial projects and celebrity clients.
Since then, Ella's career has taken her into the world of session manicure work, including backstage work at London Fashion Week. It’s a career that might look glamorous from the outside, but Ella is refreshingly honest about what goes on behind the scenes.
“It’s never as glam as it seems. As manicurists we can be on the floor, working under tables or in the smallest cramped space working around loads of people. But it’s always so fun to be a part of the vision.”
Working on a fashion show starts long before the models step onto the runway, too. Ella describes spending the week or two beforehand discussing themes and collaborating on the nail looks, sometimes with several different designs needed for the same show.
The environment itself calls for another set of skills.
“Speed is always a priority, but you also need to stay relaxed at the same time. Have confidence in what you’re doing and you can’t go wrong.”
Ella's biggest piece of advice for nail techs dreaming of following a similar path?
“Be willing to get stuck in and get as much experience as possible.”
Ella's career didn’t begin backstage at Fashion Week. It began by learning, practising, experimenting and putting her work out there. And that’s the exciting part.
You don’t need to know exactly where you want your nail career to take you before you begin. You just need somewhere to start.
Maybe you want to master the essentials and take on clients. Perhaps you already have your qualification but want to develop your creativity through nail art. Or maybe you’re ready to add new services to your treatment menu and take your existing business further.
Whatever your ambition, continuing to
learn with TGB Academy can help you build the skills to make it happen.
Your dream nail career won't look exactly like anybody else's, and that's exactly how it should be.
At
TGB Academy, you can develop practical skills and continue building your confidence through accredited nail technician courses, including:
Gel Polish Courses Build the foundations for creating beautiful, professional gel manicures.
BOOK NOW Nail Art Courses Push your creativity further, develop new techniques, and create looks that help your work stand out with our nail art workshops.
BOOK NOW DesignEx™ Pro Nail Extension Training Courses
Ready to take your skills further? Learn how to create beautiful nail extensions with DesignEx™ Pro and add another in-demand nail service to your treatment menu.
BOOK NOW Further Nail Training Continue expanding your skill set as your ambitions, services and career grow with online courses and workshops designed to help you thrive.
EXPLORE ONLINE TRAINING Because becoming a Nail Tech isn't the end goal. It could be the start of everything.
Whether you're taking your first steps into the industry or thinking about your next one, there's always more to learn, create and achieve.
Dare to dream. Build your skills. Make it happen with TGB Academy. EXPLORE TGB ACADEMY NAIL COURSES 
