For beauty lovers and the fashion-forward, New York Fashion Week marks a time when glamour-filled creativity and cool street-side looks are at an all-time high. And this season, the makeup, hair, and nail looks making their way down the runway are bigger and bolder than fashion weeks of the past.
Officially in full swing as of Feb. 9, the industry’s fave top designers are showcasing their fall/winter 2024 collections. One thing is clear: This season is amping up the beauty ante in more ways than one.
For one, Helmut Lang’s runway featured a heavy dose of boldly lined, ultra-grunge eye makeup, while Christian Siriano’s looks were paired with intricate updos adorned with loudly luxurious gold leaf details. The manicures, too, have been just as statement-making.
When it comes to the nail polish color trends most prevalent at New York Fashion Week, vibrant red, glossy black, and metallic silver have left their mark. Also, countless runways have been opting for buzzy chrome finishes — which, ICYWW, is a still-rising nail trend for 2024 that claims Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift, Khloé Kardashian, and more A-listers as fans.
Craving a bit of mani inspiration? Below, find the 11 nail art looks that have defined this New York Fashion Week SZN.
Blood Red Ombré At Jason Wu
At Jason Wu, the models’ nails added a bit of that undone edge with a deep, blood-red polish shade concentrated towards the cuticles and fading into a clear color towards the tips. Manicurist and founder of JINsoon, Jin Soon Choi, used her own brand’s nail polish in Risque ($18) to create the ombré effect.
Mod White Manis At Christian Cowan
At Christian Cowan, the manicures were lengthy, coffin-shaped tips with mod vibes by way of bright white polish and itty bitty star designs in a pure black polish shade. Julie Kandalec, the manicurist behind the look, opted for the CND™ Shellac™ in Cream Puff ($15.30) to create the crisp white base.
Cherry Red Polish At Sandy Liang
At Sandy Liang, the models’ nails were painted in solid shades to accompany the classy ensembles — one of which was a fiery red. Manicurist Holly Falcone used two coats of the classic OPI Nail Lacquer in Big Apple Red ($11.99) for one of the looks, while other models sported either a shimmery pale yellow, sparkly pink, navy blue, or a periwinkle base topped off with OPI’s pearlescent Glazed N’ Amused.
Gold Micro French Tips At Tiffany Brown
The manicure M.O. at Tiffany Brown was all things subtle and classy. Nailing Hollywood manicurist Tara Haye tapped Dazzle Dry’s collection of fast-drying polish shades to create the gilded micro French look, using the Nail Lacquer in White Lighting ($22) for the sheer base, along with the shade Lunar Love ($22) for the pencil-thin metallic tip.
Mannequin Nails At Marc Jacobs
At Marc Jacobs, the mod lashes were the star of the show, while the more low-key “mannequin manicures” took a chic backseat on the runway. Manicurist Choi applied two layers of the CND™ Shellac™ ($15.30) in shades Bare Chemise, Field Fox, or Satin Pajamas on each model.
Red Chrome Tips At Prabal Gurung
Red and silver chrome nails ruled the runway at Prabal Gurung. Gina Edwards, the manicurist behind the looks, used press-ons to nail the vibe — in particular, the KISS imPRESS Color Press-On Manicure in Red Velvet ($7.99) — before shaping each mani into sharp stiletto tips.
Holographic Silver At Bronx And Banco
At Bronx and Banco, the press-on manicures all had a funky, disco-inspired vibe by way of the holographic silver Chillhouse Chill Tips in Chill At the Disco tips ($16).
Sheer Jelly Nails At Helmut Lang
Choi kept the manicures understated and sheer at Helmut Lang. She used three different shades from her line, two of which were sheer with a jelly-like finish: Whisper (which launches in the spring of 2024), Serenity (which drops in the fall of 2024), and Risque ($18). Her prediction? “This year will be all about jelly nails,” she told Bustle backstage.
Black French Tips At PatBo
At PatBo, the models’ manicures featured a traditional French tip design, made edgier with dark black tips. Manicurist Edwards opted for the KISS imPRESS No Glue Mani in For The Night ($9.49) for the fashionable affair.
High-Tech Press-Ons At Dauphinette
Dauphinette’s fall/winter ‘24 show featured high-tech nails worthy of a fashion spread. Manicurist Falcone adorned a single statement tip with a KIKI World Chipped NFC-Enabled Press-On Nail ($49) — which were programmed to take anyone nearby to Dauphinette’s Instagram page with a mere tap of their phone. The other nine nail looks were painted with the Pretty Nail Graffiti in Pearl ($29) by the same innovative brand.
Glossy Black Nails At Proenza Schouler
At Proenza Schouler, the color palette was dark and dreamy, with glossy, “black nail theory” manicures to match. Manicurist Choi used the JINsoon Nail Polish in Absolute Black ($18) to achieve the sultry look.
