Eyeballs! Glowing crystals! Fur! CND went to another reality with its surrealistic nail designs for Libertine’s Fall/Winter 2016 show at New York Fashion Week.
The Libertine AW 2016 runway during New York Fashion Week in February was a feast for the eyes – and not just because of Libertine’s standout prints and colour; the nails by CND were works of art in their own right.
Libertine’s designer, Johnson Hartig, was inspired by “a French sculptor, painter and filmmaker, who had enlightenment from transcendental meditation” so both the clothing and nails that stormed the runway were graphic, modern and sculptural in vibrant hues. Nails were adorned with fur, enamelled finishes, pupils that glowed with magical beams of light, and fine crystals that lit up the runway. The nude and recessive need not apply with this look…
“This is now our fourth season partnering with Libertine’s Johnson Hartig and our synergies are intuitive and based in an artists’ understanding of design and fashion,” says CND Co-founder and style director Jan Arnold. “With this collection, we were able to embody CND’s Fall 2016 trend story, which is all about authenticity, hand-crafted artistry and embracing the beauty in raw imperfections.”
As well as the matte nails adorned with fake fur to add luxurious fluffiness (and get tongues wagging in the front row), the CND Design Lab Team created sculptural eyes. Which were adorned onto the ends of nails and fingers.
“It’s pure magic when we get together [with Johnson Hartig] to create,” says CND Design Lab Team member Heather Davis, who was in charge of the creative concepts for the nails. “He recycles the work of classic designers and refurbishes them into modern interpretations, while we take classic core colours and reinvent them with artisanal techniques like mosaic tiling and porcelain enamel finishes.”
The CND team clocked over 200 hours of production on Libertine nail art. To complement the beaded eye embellishments featured on the unique Libertine garments, the CND team hand-sculpted 180 eyes in various sizes. (Find out how below!)
“They are a dream team sent from heaven above!” says Libertine designer, Johnson Hartig. “This season, they not only created out-of-this-world nails for the female AND male models, but they even sculpted miniature eye pins to accessorize the clothing. They go above and beyond every season, and the show just wouldn’t be the same without them.”
Check out the behind the scenes video here!
Here’s how to create the mesmerising eyeballs seen at Libertine AW16:
- Eyeballs were created using RETENTION+™ Liquid & Powder.
- Eyes were then painted with SHELLAC™ Brand 14+ Day Nail Color and VINYLUX™ Weekly Polish in vibrant colour combinations.
- Eyes were finished with 60 LED-lit Swarovski crystal pupils.