Wah Nails opens London salon where clients can digitally design nail art looks

Nail art brand Wah Nails has launched its first tech-enabled flagship salon in Soho, London, which allows clients to digitally design and trial nail designs.

Customers can use the brand’s virtual reality nail designer to digitally design and trial nail art looks before having them created by a tech on the Wah team – taking technology to the technician. Clients can also share their digital designs straight to social media site Instagram.

The 900sq ft “salon of the future” has more of a club feel than traditional salon design, appealing to its millennial and gen-z client base.

The ground floor is a play and discover area, with nail printing, a product testing zone and immersive virtual reality experiences created by DVTK, a London-based design studio known for creating experimental digital experiences.

The basement is the treatment area with six manicure desks, three pedicure chairs and a cocktail bar, and techs use Wah London’s full range of products in treatments. 

The brand was founded by Sharmadean Reid in 2009 and Reid aims to change the salon landscape by linking digital, retail and social.

Reid said: "I chose to open my WAH London flagship in Soho as this area has created so many memories for my life in London. From studying at Central St Martins College of Art to my first job on Shaftesbury Ave, to me Soho is London.

"I love the existing locals as well as the next generation of entrepreneurs and I’m extremely excited to be part of the community of Soho. I am looking forward to bringing this new innovative concept store to the area where trends historically have started.”

Image: ©Instagram/@wahnails