NAIL BITES
We meet the founder of an exciting young nail brand and visit the SS18 catwalks to spot hot nail trends
Nail News
Ryan Lo/CND
Ralph and Russo/Leighton Denny
Nicola Brindle/Faby
Fyodar Golan/ Leighton Denny
House of Holland/St Tro
Gareth Pugh/CND
Gareth Pugh/CND
SEASONAL SHADES
Ethereal finish: Kicking off with light and airy vibes suited to the season, techs got creative with the ultimate blank canvas – white nails. At Ryan Lo, Marian Newman’s team applied 3D white petals onto clear oval press-on nails, detailed with a light gold shimmer; while tech Lauren Michelle Pires hand painted white waves at the top and bottom of clear press-ons, leaving a negative space in the middle.
Leighton Denny Expert Nails lead manicurist Sabrina Gayle took a sparklier route to minimal, painting a thick block of silver-grey Diamond Diva onto short, neat natural nails at Fyodar Golan. The brand also took care of nails at Ralph and Russo, where Rebecca Jade Wilson delicately painted thin French tips with silver Liquid Crystal.
Gold gets vampy: Ever the fashion rebel, designer Gareth Pugh enlisted team CND to create arresting nail designs with a touch of witchy magic about them, more suited to Halloween than summer parties. A set of shimmering gold extensions were twisted and gnarled at the tips and appeared singed at the sides, while others were glossy blood red, covering encapsulated textures like Perspex.
Green reigns supreme: It’s set to be the colour of the season, whether it’s the turquoise-emerald shimmer painted on models’ nails for the Christian Cowan show or the sparkly grass green seen at Nicola Brindle, a Faby shade called Glittering Chlorophyll used by Metta Fracis and her team.
5minutes with
Daisy Kalnina, founder of nail brand The Gel Bottle Inc
I used to run my own nail salons and I felt I wasn’t getting the best quality or support from the brands I was using. I took matters into my own hands and developed something different, creating The Gel Bottle Inc in August 2015.
We launched the brand into such a crowded marketplace, but I made a high-quality product that I hope speaks for itself. I believe in “go big or go home”, and I’ve learned that the way forward is to set trends, not follow them.
All my colleagues are hardworking and self-motivated, and that’s what creates such an inspirational working environment. I love the work we do.
We have a wide range of products in the pipeline, from essential supplies to furniture. We want to be a “one-stop shop” for our customers.
We’re launching an academy in January next year with an interactive, visual and hands-on training programme like no other. We’ll run a wide range of courses from beginners’ gel manicure to advanced nail design. All will include intensive business, social media and photography training.