Finishing Touché

OPI is the creative force behind the nail looks at fashion week’s biggest shows.

Nail designs by Miss Pop for OPI gilded the fingertips of models at nine spring/summer 2015 runway shows at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. Extensive preparation went into the week-long event, which included runway shows for Jeremy Scott, BCBG Max Azria and L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani. “The designer will talk me through the collection, the styles and attitude the clothing will embody,” says Miss Pop. “From there, I paint sample nail art designs inspired by the collection, everything from the prints to the shapes of the styles. I’ll share my designs with the designer and we finalize the looks at a beauty test, which can be a week or even days before the show.” The team of eight OPI artists had their work cut out for them, with at most two hours to prep models for each event. “It was pretty crazy,” says OPI Global Artist Vu Nguyen, a fashion week first-timer. “With nails, hair and makeup, sometimes we had four people working on one model.” The team relied on OPI RapiDry Spray and Drip Dry Lacquer Drying Drops to shorten finishing times. Miss Pop adds, “It also moisturizes the cuticles, which is essential when the models are going through three nail changes a day.”