UNBOUND BABES: THE PLEASURE DISRUPTORS

Sarah / Black coat, Retrofete. Shoes, Gedebe.  Polly / Dress, Vintage. Shoes Gedebe.

Feature Editor / Koko Ntuen

Photos / Felipe Zapata-Valencia

CD + Styling / Phil Gomez

Beauty Editor / Rory Alavrez

Cover Art / Mikey Meza-Pérez 

Hair Stylist / Isaac Davidson / Che Nieves 

Styling Assistant / Alon Cameron

MUA / Anaiyah Simmons / Nyala chamberlain / Sophie Hartnett

In a world that still dares to police women’s pleasure, It-Girls Unbound Babes is here to burn the rulebook. Founded by disruptors Sarah Jayne Kinney and Polly Rodriguez, the brand is a battle cry for empowerment, inclusivity, and the radical destigmatization of sexual wellness—especially for women and marginalized communities. Facing down stigma, funding roadblocks, and advertising bans, Sarah Jayne and Polly refuse to flinch. Their mission? To make pleasure accessible, to break barriers, and to do it all with unapologetic authenticity. 

What was the spark that ignited Unbound Babes?

It’s been a beautiful series of sparks, but all centered around rebellion. In 2017, we raised money for Planned Parenthood and sent hundreds of vibrators to members of Congress who were actively voting against reproductive rights. We’ve publicly challenged the MTA for sexist censorship policies. In 2023, we trolled Facebook by building a fake brand called Thunderthrust to demonstrate the double standard of advertising to men vs women on the platform. It’s not just about pleasure but the fight required for it to exist. 

Unbound isn’t just a brand—it’s a movement. How did you go about building not just a company but a community centered on pleasure, and empowerment?

Pleasure is a very broad experience. The end goal is for the most part the same, but people start from such a different place. Many were taught to be ashamed of their bodies or who they are attracted to; others are still figuring out what works for them. We wanted to build something anyone could relate to if they were open to it. We prioritized making it fun and inclusive and made the price points of our products approachable since pleasure is not a luxury. 

Sexual wellness has long been stigmatized, especially for women and marginalized communities. What barriers did you have to break down to make Unbound a reality?

When we started Unbound over ten years ago, the biggest challenge was overcoming the deeply ingrained stigma around sexual wellness—especially for women and marginalized communities. Historically, this industry has been dominated by a narrow, male-centric perspective, and access to investor funding, advertising platforms, and mainstream retail partnerships was nearly impossible for a female founded team centering pleasure for womxn.

Some of these fights have been easier won than others. Securing venture capital took almost three years of relentless pitching and proving that, yes, we’re a serious business in a serious market. Unfortunately, we’re still fighting for access to advertising platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Amazon, and the MTA  – despite the fact that you can throw a rock and hit an erectile dysfunction ad – similar products for women are still banned.

Ultimately, it has always been the Unbound team and community that’s allowed us to break down barriers. By pushing for visibility and advocating for more inclusive industry standards, we’ve been able to carve out space where sexual wellness is recognized as an essential part of overall well-being.

In the spirit of Women’s Herstory Month, we have to ask—who are some women in herstory (or in your own life) who inspire you?

PR: I am living for Representative (and fellow St. Louisian like moi!) Jasmine Crockett right now. She should inspire all of us to speak our truth to power and to not back down to bullies. I also would take a bullet for my sister, mother, and Stevie Nicks.

SJ: Tressie McMillan Cottom. I will listen to her take on any topic. She’s a great follow on Tiktok, but her more recent book, Thick, is incredible. She just inspires me to want to learn more. Brooklyn White- a brilliant writer and dear friend who, despite being 10 years younger than me, reminds me that wisdom is not a stronghold of age. And I get really inspired when I think about all the women in history who received zero credit for their contributions or had their accomplishments stolen by men. 

What does being an It-Girl mean to you?

PR: That you’re making the kind of trouble worth paying attention to

SJ: Titles, like nicknames, can only be given, never self-appointed — so I’m stoked. 

What’s your favorite Unbound product?

PR: Ollie, she’s all gas and no brakes.SJ: I love Flick- our vibrator ring. It’s a statement piece in every possible way. We designed it to be a bold wearable that you can wear in the bedroom and out. Sex toys don’t always get to see the light of day, and I love that Flick sort of breaks that standard. You can wear it out, and people will compliment you without knowing it’s also a vibrator. Whether you divulge, that is up to you. 

What message do you hope to send to young girls who see you owning your space as entrepreneurs?

PR: That I also spend a lot of days feeling like a total failure and that’s okay. And that you’re going to walk into a lot of rooms where no one looks like you and that’s okay. And that a lot of people are going to tell you that your idea isn’t going to work and that’s okay. Most of all, that you’ll be okay – even when it feels like you won’t be – bc you are resilient and strong and capable as shit, or you would have never chosen this path in the first place.

SJ: It is never easy but always worth it. Some days, it will feel like everything goes wrong to spite you for trying. But other days, you will meet parts of yourself that you never imagined, which feels so wonderful.

If you could go forward in time and give your older self one piece of advice about sex, business, or life in general—what would it be?

PR: If I’m going forward in time I’m going to have a lot of questions before I start doling out advice (like, mostly what stocks should I be buying?) but, I suppose my advice would be to keep summoning the courage to keep choosing yourself and what sets your soul on fire, both in business and sex.

SJ: I have a tightly held belief that as a woman, you can be good or you can be happy. Pleasing everyone will make you unrecognizable to yourself, so you should stick to what makes YOU happy and subvert what is expected of you. My advice to my older self is to continue to find the path that makes you happy. 

What’s next for Unbound Babes? Any upcoming projects or releases?

Well, we hope to survive the Trump Tariff Turbulence of 2025 – ??? which has aged us at least 3 years in 3 months. Outside of that, we have TWO amazing launches we’re excited to share:

Zip: a redesigned version of our #1 selling bullet vibrator – now 3 speeds, USB rechargeable, fully waterproof, body safe (lab tested and verified) silky smooth silicone, and a heavier and more powerful motor all for $22 because, again, in this economy?

Lazies: we’re also v v v v excited to be expanding into personal care with a modular sheet mask we’ve been developing for almost two years with an agency out of Seoul, South Korea (bc they know wtf they are doing!). Lazies were designed to be used anywhere on the body and especially for sensitive skin. They’re great for ingrown hairs, dry skin, and general redness and irritation. Power ingredients include Collagen to hydrate and aid the skin’s natural healing process, Centella Asiatica to soothe and reduce redness, and Niacinamide to even out skin tone. Each pouch comes with 2 masks for $8

Sarah /Flower dress, Megan O’ Cain. Eyewear, Crass. Shoes, Del Los Santos. Polly / top + bottom, Laruicci. Bag, Jean Paul Gaultier. Shoes, Norma Kamali.