Athleisure-Inspired Nail Art

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The message was loud and clear from the catwalks: Athleisure is here to stay. But even though the clothes pushed comfort to a certain degree, the style quotient went above and beyond typical workout gear. Sportif at Versus Versace read as structured, oversized quilted crop tops, a long expanse of taut abs and low-slung track pants with shimmering sateen running stripes. In fact, the track pant dominated the season’s sporty-chic set: At Marc Jacobs, it harkened back to the Adidas-heavy early days of rap duo Run-DMC; at Les Copains, it looked ready for a military march; at Gucci, it completed a leisure suit perfect for a Wes Anderson movie. The most flamboyant and boundary pushing of the bunch, a sequined tracksuit at Ashish, signaled how athleisure is viewed through the lens of high fashion: to be worn without ever lifting a weight, holding a warrior pose or breaking a sweat. That’s not the case for sportif nail art: These designs are as much at home in the locker room as they are on the streets. To translate this trend to fit bits on nails, take your inspiration from track pants’ racing stripes, like guest artist Gina Edwards. She pumps up her designs with smart line art—even adding in a bit of texture via glitter and mylar for a look that’s strong yet feminine.

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What do you think of this athleisure look? Let us know in the comments below!

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Guest artist Gina Edwards is a session nail artist based in New York City. Her work can be seen in top-tier fashion magazines and luxury brand ad campaigns.

–by Karie L. Frost

This article was originally published in the February 2018 issue of NAILPRO.

[Images: fashion from Getty Images, nail art from Brooks Ayola]

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