Nail INSPO! Fashion week nail trends

From soft and feminine to dark and gritty, nails were a big feature at this year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia. Here’s a round-up of the trends to come out of the shows.

 

Pink and sheer at Ginger & Smart.
Pink and sheer at Ginger & Smart.

 

Neutral Nails

Just as barely-there makeup and pretty, feminine hair was a common request this MBFWA, pretty pinks and nude nails dominated the runways.

“Nails are nude this season in shades of bone, muted grey and neutral pink,” says Karon McKendrick Taylor, FABY Australia colour stylist and general manager.

Nails at Macgraw were the palest of pink, while the sheer versions at Ginger & Smart added a sophisticated touch to neutral nails.

At Yeojin Bae an edgy softly pale pink was chosen for hands (a coat of Faby Matte Top Coat added plenty cool factor), while a toes were painted with a neutral nude.

 

 

Beautiful and natural nails suited the Macgraw girl perfectly.
Beautiful and natural nails suited the Macgraw girl perfectly.

 

Soft and feminine at Macgraw
Soft and feminine at Macgraw

 

White-out nails

At Akira, nails went pure white to reflect the designer’s first foray into white designs. White opaque polish (Optical White by FABY) was meticulously applied by nail professionals, followed by a coat of Faby Matte Top Coat to add that element of designer cool. At Gary Bigeni, nails were also powder white (this time with CND Vinylux in Cream Puff) but for this contemporary show, an off-centre polkadot (thanks to CND’s Creative Play Nail Lacquer in Royalista) added a punchy pop of colour.

 

Whiteout at Akira
Whiteout at Akira

 

White with a pop of colour at Gary Bigeni.
White with a pop of colour at Gary Bigeni.

 

Solid, opaque and matte

While there was some nail art to be seen – such as the burgundy tipped nails at Jennifer Kate – most of the looks were striking block colours. Case in point: the dark and sophisticated nails at Aje.

“The look is clean and natural, using more of a solid coverage,” says McKendrick Taylor. “Opaque nude, as opposed to sheer nude, with a touch of matte top coat.”

 

There was some nail art walking the runway such as these burgundy-tipped nails at Jennifer Kate.
There was some nail art walking the runway such as these burgundy-tipped nails at Jennifer Kate.

 

Dark and daring at Aje.
Dark and daring at Aje.

 

All that shimmers

Nails were glittering silver at Daniel Avakian, while at TOME nails were given added decadence with crystal embellishment. Nails and toes at this elegant show were dark burgundy (Faby’s What are You Doing Tonight) with a decadent Swarovski crystal added to the moon.

Star studded at TOME.
Star studded at TOME.

 

Short and rounded

Forget exaggerated talons, the nail shape this year was elegantly pragmatic.

“The length is rounder than previous years and we were not requested to add any nail tips,” says McKendrick Taylor who kept all her nail looks “natural and relaxed”.

 

Short and natural was the order of the week at this year's fashion week.
Short and rounded and matte was a common order at this year’s fashion week.

 

Daringly different 

There are always going to be exceptions to the rule and Di$count Universe delivered. Lead nail artist, Skye McIntyre for CND Creative Nail Design, created punk themed talons that had plenty of edge.

“We’ve got tips with different colours in glitter ranging from black, blue, pink, silver and red,” says Skye McIntyre. “It is a punk theme and we’ve used CND Creative Play in Su-Pearl-Ative, Black + Forth, Got A Light?, Flirting with Fire, and Viral Violet to get the look for the show.”

 

Out there with Discount Universe.
Out there with Discount Universe.

 

Some nail looks dared to be different. At Discount Universe the nails made a statement.
Some nail looks dared to be different. At Discount Universe the nails made a statement.

 

Classic with a twist

At Gail Sorronda the nails were inspired by fast cars and the roaring 20s. The brief to the nail pros at CND was “the 1920s Ferrari”. Answering it perfectly, they enlisted the brand’s classic shade CND Vinylux in Classic Red and boosted that feeling of luxury with a medium-length rounded shape.

 

Classic red at Gail Sorronda
Classic red at Gail Sorronda

 

 

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