Melissa Forrest, of Tips Nail Bar & Spa in Toronto, led a team of three nail artists and one assistant for a weeklong foray into haute couture nails at Fashion Week. “A hit runway nail team consists of artists who are passionate about their work,” says Forrest of her team. “Sometimes we are at the salon until 2 AM creating nail art. They are committed right from the get-go.”
After consulting with the designers, Forrest created individual nail looks for the shows. “Each nail is designed as if it were chosen for the front cover a magazine!” says Forrest. At Chloé Comme Parris, nails were textured and dark to match the deep burgundy clothing palette. A nude shade was chosen for Soia and Kyo so as “not to distract from their wonderful collection.” For Pink Tartan, Forrest created an exclusive ox-blood shade. “Travis Taddeo was super excited about his collection when he met with me,” says Forrest. “The matte black-moon nails were to represent a woman who was emerging from heartache, and gaining confidence while nurturing her edgy side.”
Of working behind-the-scenes, Forrest says she thrives. “Working in the fast-paced environment of the runways is a total adrenaline rush, and my team loves it. Sometimes there are five people working on a model all at the same time, and sometimes we’re standing by in the sidelines, just in case a model loses a nail before hitting the runway!”
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