Get to know these three international mavens that are “painting” the way for nail artists and enthusiasts.
The Adventurist: Eleonora Movsisian, Co-Founder & CEO, Nail Sunny, Russia Co-founded with her sister Arina, the family- owned salon’s out-of-the-box nail designs have gone viral—seen all over social media and TV.
Why did you want to be in the nail industry?
We became a unique nail art salon chain because no one in Russia had a great nail art salon with both luxurious quality and low prices. My sister and I don’t think you need to choose. You can have it all. Our first salon was opened in 2013. Now we have 10 salons in Moscow and 1 in Los Angeles.
Many of your team’s nail art designs are very unique and unlike anything we’ve seen before! How do you come up with the ideas?
Nobody wants to see a boring French manicure. People want to have fun! They want a show, so we thought “Let’s give them a show!”
Many of the nail designs have gone viral, appearing online and on TV. What does that feel like? It’s SO exciting! We didn’t expect anything like this! It’s unreal.
That’s what happens when you work really hard! Our tips are: Never give up, stay strong, go after your dreams and never surrender. Be unique!
How do you work with your nail artists on these ideas?
Our nail artists are licensed nail technicians and are very talented! My sister and I create exclusive ideas and our nail artists bring them to life.
Our goal is to provide high quality services to our clients. There’s no doubt, Nail Sunny will surprise the world!
The Fashionista: Tamara Di Lullo, Owner, Candy Nail Bar, Montreal This Canadian nail artist’s work has been featured in fashion magazines and brand campaigns. And as an education ambassador for CND, she’s even worked backstage at Toronto Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week!
Tell us what it’s like collaborating with fashion designers on the nail looks for Fashion Week.
I think the most important part is to use something that wouldn’t take away from the collection. For example, for ZOFF/ Alan Anderson [for fall/winter 2019 at Toronto Fashion Week], there were so many colours and the jewelry was so ornate, we didn’t want to do something that would compete with it. For this, we did a nude shade on a long, almond- shaped nail, which is our classic runway nail that we do for Fashion Week. It’s elegant and adds length to the hands and it makes the nail beds look long.
For the Kiki de Montparnasse show, [the designer] wanted nails that were in keeping with the femininity of her collection. I designed the nails, so I looked at the collection and did an overlay of a fine black lace, in a lacy French-style, to create a lingerie look on the nails. We also created a signature [design] on a few accent nails, because you don’t need to have a nail art that’s too heavy. It has to go along with the style of the person or the style of the collection you’re designing it for.
How does working at Toronto Fashion Week compare to New York Fashion Week (NYFW)?
It’s nice because [Toronto] is smaller and more intimate, so it’s fun. [Spring/ Summer 2019 at NYFW] was my first season. It was crazy! A lot of fun. I got to do nails for Libertine and I worked on a lot of other shows, as well. I was able to go backstage and work with some of the best.
I submitted some designs for [Fall/ Winter 2019], too.
What has it been like to work on so many cool projects?
It’s been a dream come true. Last year for me was exceptional. I was invited to do so many cool things that a “newbie” wouldn’t typically get to do. I did [founder of CND] Jan Arnold’s nails for the CND Shellac Luxe event [in Toronto]. That was amazing! I did a shoot in Los Angeles for NAILS Magazine. I’ve been doing editorial work for probably five years now. It’s just fun. It’s really been a great year.
What else are you hoping to venture into next?
I would personally like to do more education. More and more people are asking me to do tutorials and nail-art classes, so hopefully that’s something that I’ll be introduced to shortly.
The OG: Marian Newman, Industry Nail Expert, U.K.
From editorial photoshoots to fashion shows, this British nail technician’s work has been seen around the world. She has recently published a book, Nailed It., which is a collection of her most memorable nail creations.
What has been your favourite project that you’ve worked on?
There are so many! My very first fashion show (Givenchy Couture AW97) needed the creation of very long spiral nails.
A series of projects I worked on with Lady Gaga. Both of these are relevant as, without understanding of the products I used, I wouldn’t have been able to work out how to make those weird nails.
Of course, working on my book, Nailed It., is a very special project! I started in two industry sectors that were, largely, unaccepting (fashion and beauty) so it has been quite a “journey” remembering and reliving all those tumultuous years.
In your book, you mention that you don’t like to look at work by other nail artists. Why is that?
In the job that I’ve had for 20+ years I’ve had to be original. This is unlike working in a salon where clients see nail designs that they would like. To look at the work of others it is seeing something that’s already been done, and you can’t “unsee” it. In so many instances I have had to come up with originality, so I look elsewhere.
You built your career in a time before social media became so prevalent. What does that mean to you?
Social media has changed the world. For the good and not so good! Unfortunately, some view the number of “followers” or “likes” as being a benchmark ignoring how skilled, original or how long and hard an individual has worked. So often massive followers bare no relation to the talent of the person.
Also, even when you think you are being original someone else in the world has already done it. What is lovely is when there is a design that someone else has done and the person posting the image has the grace to credit the person with an “inspired by….”
What are some of the things that nail technicians today can do to help them improve their craft and advance their career?
Keep learning and keep an open mind. There is such a resistance to learning today. I hear far too often “I’ve done it like this for years and never had a problem.” My answer to that is: “Well, it’s time to look at things in a different way then instead of doing things by rote!” It’s time to keep up with the massive advances in research. So many still do not know what and where the cuticle is or still believe in a water soak manicure! Keep up!
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