Can Nail Art Ever Be Chic?

Even as I read the headline for today's blog, I shudder. For many years now, I've been a staunch supporter of short nails (no more than 1/4 to 1/2 inch past the nail bed). My rule: Nails should be short, squoval-shaped, and painted a pale pink-white neutral or a classic red. No French. No rhinestones. And no (the horror!) nail art. But that may be changing. Today, I saw a blurb in WWD Beauty Biz about Zoe Pocock, a 33-year-old London manicurist who is designing the most innovative manicures ever. Suddenly, my short, chic-beyond-reproach manicure looks bland and unimaginative. Zoe likes to take inspiration from accessories, like the goth-cool manicure inspired by a pair of black satin Christian Louboutin pumps. The nails are long, slighly tapered, and pitch black. The twist? The entire underside of the nail is painted red. So creative. She uses unconventional ingredients, like cocoa powder, to create amazing effects like a suede finish or a crocodile-texture (inspired by a Mulberry bag). Now, granted, I probably wouldn't wear long black-and-red talons to take Lola to a playgroup, but I do think that her work could change the way we approach a manicure. It's theatrical, it's dramatic, and it's unconventional. For a cool night at a hot club, or an extravagant black-tie bash, we may be seeing more than short, pale squovals. And even I have to admit: It's about time.