Nail art as a medium for creative expression has thrived in the internet age. The miniature artists of today, manicurists from around the world produce the most mind-blowing designs on the smallest of canvases. From organic sculptural shapes to long, pierced talons and nails that look like they are literally rotting off your fingers, there is so much more to a manicure than blueberry milk. But while the internet is awash with incredible nail artists, it hasn’t always been possible to transport these works of art from the digital realm into our tangible bodies. Until now.
Today, APOC Store launches a new collection of nail art that celebrates it as a vehicle for expression and even resistance. Covering a diverse range of styles, the first collection features eight creatives who have expanded our notion of what a manicure can be: Cyshimi, Raw Nails, Texto Dallas, Sammy Does, Dinara Garaeva, Hot Nails, Doux Nails and Räthel & Wolf. Later this month, Soji Nails will also be added to the mix as well. The nails themselves range from sculptural avant-garde creations to easier-to-wear designs that blend traditional manicure techniques with innovative methods like using upcycled found materials.
“We’ve been watching nail artists evolve over the past few years, from French manicures to the maximalist nails we see all over social media now. They approach nails as a medium for art with their sculptural creations that can be otherworldly,” says co-founder Jules Volleberg. “Where nail art has arrived to currently, it felt like the right moment for us to share on APOC Store, as we want to be a place of surprise and discovery.”
Launched in 2020, APOC Store was founded to be a curated marketplace for emerging designers with a more relaxed retail model than the fast-paced industry often demands. Since then, it’s become a cult fashion destination known for its eclectic mix of madcap, wholly unique, pieces. The new nail art collection is very much in keeping with this spirit, full of pieces of unusual shape and texture like Doux Nails’ giant bubble set or Dinara Garaeva’s metallic, 3D-printed sculptural nails. Raw Nails has contributed some smoker-stained teeth, while if you’ve ever wanted to transform your hands into dinosaur claws, Cyshimi has you covered.
“Overall, we wanted to have a selection of both wearable and more sculptural pieces,” shares Volleberg. “Like shoes, there’s different styles of nails for different occasions. Some can be worn day-to-day whilst others may be just for a certain mood.” The process for selecting the artists, he says, was very intuitive – a combination of those who had collaborated with other APOC designers and some they had discovered on Instagram. Ultimately, the ethos, as always, was simple: ‘more is more’. See some exclusive images in the gallery above and find the whole collection here.
