Not for the faint-hearted, classic animal prints and exotic motifs are reinvented in electric hues.
“Bold patterns are going to be big for spring and we’ll start to see some tropical prints in there too in terms of birds and flowers – these designs will work best with bold colours, giving clients a standout look, hot off the catwalk,” says Samantha Birkett-Leigh, CND education ambassador and session tech.
Think your usual leopard print, but reimagined in acidic yellow, or floral motifs on thorn-like extensions, as created by CND for The Blonds New York Fashion Week SS20 show. At Libertine, jungle tigers were contrasted on an electric blue base, and 3D flowers bloomed upwards and outwards from the fingertips.
Try experimenting with clashing animal prints on each nail and in different colour ways. “This trend was definitely the biggest one of Summer 2019 and it is still going strong into 2020,” says Larivière. “But once again, we are making it bolder, brighter, funkier.” And as for your more tame clients? “Cow print will also stay on trend for a while alongside the usual leopard and zebra prints,” she says.
Florals will also be popular, but this time there’s no middle ground – it’s either going to be full-out floral or barely there, says Trafford. “To create the barely there floral, we’ll see incredibly sheer or clear shades being used for the base, with simple flowers such as white daisies drawn on,” she adds.
Images (L–R):OPI for House of Holland SS20, Jaz Moger Nail Art, The Gel Bottle for Charlotte Knowles SS20
4. Nostalgia Nails
Geometric nail art has been gaining popularity year after year, but this summer we are going back in time with it. “People are getting more and more nostalgic about the ’80s and ’90s, especially since the start of the new decade,” says Larivière. “It is all about reliving those decades through nail art.”
Fans of funkier patterns will be pleased to hear that retro flashback manicures are set to stay. The trend will be imagined in mix-and-match graphic patterns. “We are talking bold and bright colours with zigzags and shapes,” she says. “From Fresh Prince of Bel Air graffiti to Saved By The Bell geometric patterns – the bolder the better for this throwback trend,” she says.
Look to House of Holland, where the LFW SS20 show saw ’90s rave-inspired glitter in abundance on the eyes and reflected in the nails too. Playful pastels were seen at Olivia Rubin, with pick-and-mix neopolitan colours painted on each nail, while at Charlotte Knowles, The Gel Bottle team layered multiple colours and filed them down to create patterns reminiscent of lava lamps.