After a season or two of subtle tips, nail art is back with a vengeance. From geometric color to neon cheetah, the bigger, crazier, the claw-ier, the better. Ahead, the statement nails that stood out from the crowd.
The Blonds
The Vibe: She Devil
Get the look: Per creative director Jan Arnold, each nail design was an answer to the question, "What would the world look like if Lucifer were a woman?" The answer, apparently: blood red hues, holographic fire, and literal claws. Each nail was hand crafted with a total of over 2,000 crystals and took Arnold about two months to complete.
Cushnie et ochs
The Vibe: Metallic Ombre
Get the Look: Manicurist Julie Kandalec took the classic French manicure and flipped it on its head. If you're wanting tot try something similar, she advises using a square nail shape.”If the nail is too oval, it doesn’t look as graphic,” notes Kandalec. First, apply two coats of Essie’s Skinny Dip, a sheer pink. Then, add a bit of sparkle to just the tips with Essie’s Summit of Style.
If You Buy One Thing:
Essie Skinny Dip, $8.99; target.com
Essie Summit of Style, $9; amazon.com
Oscar de la Renta
The Vibe: Wine Red
Get the Look: The nails were inspired by designer Oscar de la Renta’s runway florals. Kandalec created a bold burgundy that mirrored the shade of a rich bouquet.
Christian Siriano
The Vibe: Celebration
Get the Look: “Fashion should be fun and I want every girl to feel confident, no matter her shape, size or ethnicity,” said Siriano in a statement. That’s exactly how the beautiful models walking down the runway must have felt in these holographic press-ons.
If You Buy One Thing:
Siriano Red Carpet collection, $6.39; impressmanicure.com
Alice and Olivia
Chromat
The Vibe: Geometric Color
Get the Look: It was all about the shapes at Chromat. Lead manicurist Eda Levenson and her team handpainted over 400 nails. "The look is pulling from the bungees and the bright colors Chromat has this season," explained Levenson. "It all aligned with the shapes you're going to see when they walk out."
If You Buy One Thing: Book an appointment at Chillhouse. Eda Levenson, aka Lady Fancy Nails, has created a number of similar nail designs at the NYC spa.
Prabal Gurung
The Vibe: Femininity With a Bite
Get the Look: "The nail look was influenced by Prabal’s childhood in Nepal while also exploring his matrilineal lineage,” explained nail manicurist Fleury Rose. Rose chose a deep plum by Zoya called Isadora or a Zora neutral gray called Dove.
If You Buy One Thing:
Zoya Nail Polish in Dove, $10; zoya.com
Zoya Nail Polish in Isadora, $10; zoya.com
Jeremy Scott
The Vibe: Neon Leopard
Get the Look: Inspired by Scott's colorful designs, nail artist Miss Pop for Essie opted for a neon animal print pattern on the nails.
Miss Pop used one of three polishes: Tart Deco (coral), Play Date (violet), or Bachelorette Bash (hot pink), drawing macaroni shapes or single dots on the nail to fill in empty space.
If You Buy One Thing:
Essie Tart Deco, $8.99; target.com
Essie Play Date, $9; amazon.com
Essie Bachelorette Bash, $8.99; amazon.com
Adam Selman
The Vibe: Tonya Harding
Get the Look: Selman was inspired by the nail polish Tonya Harding wore in a recent New York Times profile, so he decided to recreate the look for his runway show. Nail artist Holy Falcon gave models an almond shaped tip, finishing the look with either a red or a purple glitter.
If You Buy One Thing:
Orly Nail Polish in Miss Conduct, $4.99; beautyencounter.com
Orly Nail Polish in Love My Nails, $8.99; target.com
Tadashi Shoji
The Vibe: Glamazon
Get the Look: Tadashi Shoji's runway show was full of vintage Hollywood glam, sexy silhouettes and modernized cutouts. The nail looks reflected that theme with a nearly metallic burgundy covered in a cage-like mesh.
Jason Wu
The Vibe: Natural Nude
Get the Look: Just two coats of Brand New Day polish, a sheer neutral beige was all it took.
If You Buy One Thing:
Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Brand New Day, $20; deborahlipmann.com
3.1 Phillip Lim
The Vibe: '80s Versace
Get the Look: Manicurist Jin Soon Choi wanted to capture the glam of Versace but balance it with calming earthy tones. You can't buy Jin Soon's Army Green, Bright Gold, and Carmel Brown colors just yet—but you can snag the smokey teal.
If You Buy One Thing:
Jinsoon Nail Polish in Charade, $18, saksfifthavenue.com
Jill Stuart
The Vibe: Gold Amethyst
Get the Look: It was all about the nail shine at Jill Stuart. "It’s like jewelry on nails—when the light hits, you want it to shine,” said manicurist Naomi Gonzalez for Zoya backstage. Gonzalez painted the nails with one of four shimmery jewel tones and topped with a blend of two shades of purple to get the gold-infused amethyst.
Self Portrait
The Vibe: Punk Rock
Get the Look: Self Portrait's runway was all about the modern woman, and the nail look—black or deep navyadded a bit of an edge. Altogether, the deep teal and purple lips with the dark nails created the ultimate angsty mood board.
Gareth Pugh
The Vibe: Electric Blue
Get the Look: Extra-long vibrant cobalt-blue claws go the extra mile with the extra-long length and a negative space cut out on the tips.
Moschino
The Vibe: 2018 Jackie O.
Get the Look: The half-moon manicure from the Moschino runways was the creation of manicurist Miss Pop, who says the design was a tribute to former first lady Jackie O.
Antonio Marras
The Vibe: Art Deco Digit
Get the Look: Shiny black nails found the perfect compliment with a gold and red accent nail. The single diva digit upgraded the whole look with a gothic art deco vibe.
Creatures of Comfort
The Vibe: Bling on Black
Get the look: Manicurist Deborah Lippmann prepped the nails with Marshmallow Whipped Hand & Cuticle Scrub before applying two coats of Lippmann’s Fade to Black vinyl polish. To take the look up a notch, large Swarovski crystals were applied on top of each nail.
If you buy one thing:
Deborah Lippmann’s Fade to Black polish, $20; nordstrom.com
Deborah Lippmann’s Whipped Hand & Cuticle Scrub, $29; sephora.com
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