If the oversize floppy visors and billowing beige fabrics didn’t tip you off that designers Nicholas and Christopher Kunz want to take you on a desert voyage (to South Jordan, natch) for their Nicholas K. Spring 2017 collection, then the nails definitely will. Each of the 10 tiny canvases look like desert stone that’s been worn by wind and sand—but in a beautiful way. “The look is inspired by the Jordanian desert,” explains Lead Nail Artist Miss Pop, explaining that, much like rock formations, this nail design occurs in layers. The first layer consists of NCLA Nail Wraps that she’s hand-painted with a geological print. The second layer, Tattify x Miss Pop Metallic Nail Art Tattoos in So Fancy, creates a gold foil coating over top. And, just as outdoor elements erode desert rocks, Miss Pop creates a similar effect: She dips a piece of cotton in alcohol and gently dabs it around and on the nail to wipe away any excess foil from the skin as well as burnish the gold to reveal the design underneath. The result: bits of gold run like veins over the geological print. “We really wanted to bring the geological formations in,” she continues, “and we also brought the metallic in, which is in the makeup, to create a mirage-y effect like that shimmer [that occurs on the horizon] in the desert when the sun hits [the sand].” —Karie L. Frost (additional reporting by Emilie Branch)
Model posing backstage at NYFW S/S 2017 with her desert-inspired manicure.
Close up of the layered manicure for the Nicholas K S/S 2017 show.
Miss Pop working her magic backstage.Images: Emilie Branch; Instagram via @misspopnails
