For the first time ever at America’s Beauty Show, CND showcased an interactive fashion runway show tied to our latest products and seasonal color collections and featuring tips and tricks from the best in the business, including Britney Tokyo, Spifster, Winnie Huang, Torie Bastian and more.
CND stretches between the world of the consumer and the avant-garde nail art that is dominating the runways. These are designed using the colors that are sold to the everyday consumer, plus, of course, tinsels, holograms and portraiture taking place on the nails. This unique position within the industry gives CND a streamlined connection between the latest nail art trends and fashion, which can be seen in their New Wave Collection, which channels the early digital age for a retro futurist spirit.
“This season we’re going for bright, vibrant extremes,” says CND Co-Founder and Style Director Jan Arnold. “Think 1980s style combined with the intricacies of 3D printing and laser light technology. Long gone is the simple ‘accent nail.’”
This was evident in their interactive runway shows that took place throughout the weekend at America’s Beauty Show, where the team presented New Wave, the top tends from Fashion Week, and the incoming Cuba-inspired collection for Summer 2017: Rhythm & Heat, where models decked out in Libertine sequins, Cuban over-accessorizing, and of course the eccentricity that identifies CND as one of the leaders in nails who is not bashful when pushing the envelope.
“The new trend is the ‘split-style mani’ featuring a unique and contrasting look on each hand, as seen on the Libertine runway at New York Fashion Week,” says Jan. “It’s actually a funny story because I was a collector of Libertine for many years, and I met Hartig Johnson and almost ripped him over! My husband told him what I did while I tried on clothes and the connection was immediate.”
With over two decades of experience on the runways, Jan has pushed the fashion world to extremes with her eccentric vision and ability to create what seems to be impossible in a simple nail. CND is behind the scenes in over 20 shows each fashion week, giving the brand exposure and experience with designers like Emilio Pucci (who need up asking for eccentric zebra stripes and THREE TYPES OF PASLEYS, amongst other looks) to Betsy Johnson and even the amazing Oscar de la Renta. This season, we see CND’s mark on The Blonds, Alice + Olivia and even the incredible Jeremy Scott!
“I remember reading Vogue and seeing the clothes on point and the shoes on point, and the hair and the makeup, but when it came to the nails, it was just plain, and I made it my mission to change that,” recalls Jan about the pivotal point when she dove into the fashion industry.
The landscape of the nail industry and the accessibility of nail art to the customers through mediums like Instagram, inspires artists to try more daring and wild designs and suggest these to the customer. Special attention to nails is becoming the fashion norm for everyone who wants to express their creativity not through only their outfit, makeup and hair.
“That is why we emphasize so much on education, and empowering the nail technicians to learn and get training they need to try something new,” says Jan. “That’s why education is such a key part of our formation and training especially about the latest fashion shows.”
For more information on New Wave, the Spring 2017 Collection by CND, or the styles that are created with these colors by the artistic teams, please click here!
