The 5 Biggest Nail Trends to Come Out of New York Fashion Week

Fluttering feathers and transparent textiles are among the standout styles from this season.

Light as a Feather

At Luar, 3D appliqués were taken to new lengths with clusters of feathers and gems atop 3-inch square black nails topped with feathers and gemstones. This collection is called El Pato, a Spanish word that translates to duck but is also used as a homophobic slur in some regions. Designer Raul Lopez, who is of Dominican descent, says he wants to reclaim the word through this collection. Yasuda explains that the feathers serve as a double-entendre to further Lopez’s message.

“I wanted to use feathers for this collection because I always [consider] the Luar nails to be part of the collection,” says Yasuda. “So I wanted to do something that gives a statement and complements the collection.” As for the length? “We like to give drama,” says Yasuda, “so longer is better.”

To create the look, Yasuda started with a base of one of three OPI polishes Black Onyx (pictured above), Alpine Snow, or Livin’ La Vida Mocha. Then, she used a gel top coat to adhere gems and feathers.

Kandalec took feather nails in the opposite direction at Christian Cowan, attaching the stem of a singular large feather to the underside of extensions, allowing the feather to flutter out from the base of the nail and extend over the fingers. “I knew that I wanted to create something big and bold—so I attached the feather in reverse, almost as if the models were writing with a quill pen,” says Kandalec.

Heavy Metals

Metallic nails are nothing new, but this season, the looks got heavier. Metallic chrome nails topped with intricate gems were a standout at the Alice + Olivia presentation.

“The collection was inspired by Shakespeare, and we brought all of his romance and drama to the nail looks—all nine looks,” says lead nail artist Miss Pop. “The sets for the Alice + Olivia presentation were really opulent and over-the-top, and we matched that energy by encrusting the nails in gold and silver chrome.” To create the look, Miss Pop started with Salon Perfect Heavy Metal Press-Ons. Then, she topped them with custom rhinestone appliqués.

Intricate 3D metallic swirls were one of six looks at Kim Shui, a show that blended romantic textiles like lace and fur with Western elements like leather and snakeskin. “The embossed chrome look is inspired by the Western belt,” says lead nail artist Coca Michelle. She painted on the textured design using a fine-line brush and a mix of OPI Super Gloss No Wipe Top Coat with Black Onyx, cured it, and then topped it with chrome powder.

Elevated Neutrals

Neutral nails will never go out of style. But in a time when metallic finishes, saturated shades, and 3D designs are en vogue, neutrals can end up on the back burner. But a few looks this season proved that you can have the best of both worlds.

At Kim Shui, Michelle married minimalist shades with maximalist designs. For one look, she created an embossed croc print in a soft tan and beige palette. “The colors are pretty neutral because we wanted the art to stand out,” says Michelle. She used OPI gel polishes Cliffside Karaoke and Brown to Earth atop an uncured base coat to create the scales. To get the 3D effect, she layered a top coat over the individual scales until she got the desired relief.

At Christopher John Rogers, lead nail artist Jin Soon Choi opted for solid shades of edgy neutrals, using Earth Clay, Toff, and Risque from her eponymous line for a hyperrealistic, moody spin on neutrals. Choi describes the look as “sophisticated, realistic, and modern.”

Miss Pop did a neutral look for one of the looks at Alice + Olivia, but it was anything but simple. “Even the nude nails had a cat eye effect,” she says. To create this look, she used the Salon Perfect Magnetic Mirror Effect Press-Ons in the shade Magnetic Silver (a beige with a silver cat-eye effect) topped with a custom 3D pearl-and-rhinestone cluster.

Transparent Textiles

Textiles served as inspiration in some of the looks. But instead of going all-out with 3D, the devil was in the details, with intricate hand-painted designs. At Kim Shui, Michelle created a stunning black snake print on a nude nail using OPI’s Brown to Earth and Black Onyx. “Kim is known for her amazing snake and croc prints,” says Michelle.

At The Blonds, nail artist Valérie Ducharme used CND gel polish Black Pool to create a delicate lace print, topped it with Matte Top Coat, and finished with gems adhered with Liquid Bond. Co-founder of CND Jan Arnold shares that the looks for The Blonds were “a feast for the senses! Forget subtlety—this season, we’re piling on the diamonds with unmatched flash and flair.”

Going in Circles

Circular motifs were a key feature in the nail designs at both Kim Shui and Christian Cowan. At Kim Shui, Michelle punched an O-shaped cutout toward the tip of almond nails and dropped in a silver grommet for a pierced effect. The hyperrealistic nude base was “made by a layering of all different nudes from the OPI shade family,” she says.

At Christian Cowan, Kandalec took a less literal approach to cutouts, playing with polishes of varying opacities to create solid circles upon semi-sheer bases. “I love tonal designs and playing with different levels of opacity, so I designed this look to have both,” she says. She used 10 CND shades ranging from peach to deep chocolate brown, mixing some shades with a clear coat to create a translucent finish. “The semi-circles were hand-painted on in a painterly way with blurred edges,” explains Kandalec. Cowan adds: “I was thrilled to collaborate with her on these nails.”