If like us you reckon it’s about time you start turning your attention to your neglected nails, then be sure to give yourself a mani makeover this season. We’ve gathered tons of nail-spiration from this year’s A/W catwalk shows which were brimming full of Japanese inspired pops of colour, embellishments galore and artistic nail art.
Looking through the attention to detail that goes into each runway look is astounding. Although it’s ultimately the designer who gets top props for what we see on Fashion Week models, it takes an absolute village to bring together what they’re wearing from head to toe — or rather, from head to nails. The slightest of change to an overall look can make all the difference from runway to run-away, which is why masses amount of thought, talent and production is dedicated to model manicures.
Backstage at the various show settings, some of the biggest names in nail artistry partnered up with the industry’s top nail polish brands to create manicures that would complement the makeup, hair, and, most importantly, the clothing being sent down the catwalk or displayed in live presentations. The finest of detailing can be a huge help when it comes to fully realizing a designer’s vision, so it was no surprise that whilst only taking up a few centimetres of the entire look, nails were being taken incredibly seriously. So much so in fact that you can bet we were zooming in on fingertips to get all the inspiration we needed for our next trip to a Regis nail technician.
Are you ready to see a run down of our favourite shades and styles to show at your next Regis Beauty appointment? Let’s start!
Villainy Opulence
This season every piece in the Blonds’ collection was inspired by a different Disney Villain. The Blonds visited the treasure trove of creativity that is the Disney archive, exploring the development that went into each Villain’s unique character. The creation of a Villain-inspired catwalk was an ambitious concept that had never before been executed at Fashion Week, but we are so glad they did. Every model at The Blonds show went down the catwalk with a different over-the-top, opulent manicure by CND nail artists Winnie Huang and Tracey Lee. The eccentric fingertips were adorned with an assortment of dangling metal chains and gems to jewel-tone and stiletto nails embellished with crystals. Paris Hilton even walked the runway, but her manicure was subtle — at least compared to the other models’. She modelled classic French tips on her long, rounded nails, whilst her lunulas were covered in white crystals to match her dazzling jewellery and dress decked out in sparkling stones.
Negative Space
Nail artist legend Miss Pop gave all the models in the Prabal Gurung show manicures with a negative-space twist.
Negative space manis, where your natural nail is incorporated into the nail art design, are a great way to make your nails look fresh week after week. Our nail technicians recommend keeping the design on the upper half of your nail, and if done in gel, you can keep the same manicure for up to a month. Negative space manis are pretty for holidays yet work well with busy schedules, and low-maintenance girls. Plus, there’s something really eye-catching about a minimalistic look that can sometimes feel fresher than a solid colour. For the Prabal Gurung show Miss Pop used a fine nail brush to create a diagonal line from the top left part of the nail to the bottom right, filling in just the top with the beautiful berry-red colour.
Extravagant Embellishments
Pearls were all over the Adeam runway, from the clothing to the inner corners of the models’ eyes — and the nails were no exception. Mei Kawajiri alternated base colors between two OPI shades from the new Tokyo collection, a deep blue and an ethereal pink. Once the topcoat was dry, she glued one large pearl close to the cuticle and smaller sizes throughout for a truly lavish display.
Though some of us may find ourselves in the minority who prefer a minimal or even a completely bare manicure, it seems the rest of the world is taking Cardi B’s approach. That is, they’re opting for the type of nail art design that requires an entirely new method for unbuttoning or typing on a computer. Though 3D nail art isn’t a new trend, we can all agree its popularity reached new heights last year, and is only set to continue in 2019 thanks in small part to the high-profile work of Cardi’s manicurist Jenny Bui.
Splashes Of Colour
The models at Chromat wore all sorts of different nail looks, but they had one thing in common: vibrancy and abstract splashes of color. Multiple shades were sponged on for an artsy but totally DIY-able effect.
Using a small soft sponge to dab on a nail colour that, abit like foundation, makes it easier to blend and curate into something wonderful, is not a new trend. However, the designs and artistry behind these splashes of colour are now more intricate and complex. Just like the runway models, opting to have each nail ‘splashed’ with a different assortment of colours or by simply changing the positioning of colours on each nail can create a beautiful multi-tonal effect that looks simply stunning from a far and up close.
Feeling inspired?
Feeling inspired by the designs above? Pop into your local Regis Beauty salon and book in with one of our talented nail technicians to recreate your favourite looks.
Stay Social
Share your Regis nail creations with us @regisuk by using the hashtag #regisuk so it shows up in our feeds!
