If you thought nail art had come to the ends of its creativity, think again. The CND created nails at Libertine Spring/Summer 2017 collection took manicures to dizzying heights, while at Alice + Olivia the nail looks are truly set for real-life traction (just wait for clients to start asking). If this doesn’t wow you, we don’t know what will.
The Libertine girl is is not afraid to clash high-octane colours and bold extremes. In fact she’s not even afraid to have hands that speak a completely different language. According to the nail artists at CND (headed by CND Design Lab artist Heather Davis), there are no rules when it comes to matching left hand with right. At Libertine’s show, models rocked what’s now known as “split style manicures” where one hand boasts (sometimes wildly) different elements to the other.
And there was nothing shy about the looks. Shocking hot pink fuzzy pom-poms on one hand were paired with lumpy pink polish embellished with regal blue sapphires and chains in a look coined by CND as “Flock and Chain”, while other manicures boasted nails piled high with hematite rocks.
To demonstrate just how irreverent nail art can get, there was even a manicure that boasted a portrait of the Queen sporting a nose ring and a marijuana leaf. Holy cow. There were also sculptural little dogs, black and white portraits, crowned nails and all-out emblazoned talons on display. “I’ve never seen a designer get as excited as Johnson does when we bring our nail concepts to the table,” says Davis. “He makes a b-line for the nails, puts one on every finger and models them against the clothing himself to select the final looks. It’s absolutely magical.”
Meanwhile, at Alice + Olivia, nail artists looked to nature to inspire the cool and elegant nail creations. Ideal for real wear, the nails at this show were mostly nude, relied heavily on the use of negative space, and boasted some need-it-now coolness that you can bet you’re going to be asked for this season in your salon.
Using CND Vinylux Weekly Polish shades from the brand’s upcoming Summer 2017 collection, nails were hand-painted with refined garden-inspired designs. Coming down the runway was nude look with a swoosh of rose down one side of the nail and a single palm leaf down the other side of the nail (sure to be a real-life hit); a neutral nail with intricate leaf edging; and an embellished nude look that boasted clear crystals cascading down just a few models’ nails.
“Partnering with Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet this season has given our team a unique opportunity to showcase bold simplistic nail styles that can be seamlessly recreated by Nail Professionals in the salon,” says CND Co-founder and Style Director Jan Arnold. “Stacey Bendet’s inspiration this season fell right in line with our Summer 2017 trend story, which is rooted in nature with a sultry blend of color and design.”
