Nail trends to know now: Essie’s Rita Remark reveals the top polish colours for 2014

by FASHION Staff March 6, 2014

Rita Remark Essie nails Fall 2014 — Photography courtesy Essie Canada

See Rita’s top nail trends for Fall 2014 »

Now that fashion month has come to a close, one thing is clear: the nail polish. (See what we did there?) While bright colours and crazy patterns have dominated runways season after season, this year it seems that nail trends are starting to lean in a much more minimalist direction. Helping lead this neutral nail charge is Essie Canada’s lead nail artist, Rita Remark. She’s not only responsible for all the upcoming nail looks at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, but just returned from doing nails at NYFW for designers such as DKNY and Jill Stuart. So who better to advise on the colours, textures and top coats you’ll want to wear come fall, as well as what’s on trend right now? Read on for Rita’s backstage intel—and if you’re like us, you’ll most likely be reaching for a nail polish bottle before you get to the end!
  
Aside from the actual fashion collections, what has inspired the nail polish colours, textures and designs you used for Fall 2014? 
Runway nail art must first be inspired by the clothing it’s going to share the runway with, but I love to find inspiration from the designer’s muses. Going for nail tests is great because I am allowed to see and understand the designers creative process and what led them to their recent designs. Hearing that Wes Gordon’s colour palate was inspired by the feeling and ambiance of a city right after a rainfall gave me plenty of nail ideas and led me to design a look that not only matched the garments, but their mood as well.

What do you think will be the one must-wear colour for Fall 2014? 
The one must-wear colour for Fall 2014 will be wine. It’s a bit deeper, more “berried” than last year’s oxblood trend. Try it for yourself with Essie’s “Berry Naughty,” “Bahama Mama” or “Sole Mate.”   

Will texture continue to be a big trend for Fall 2014? 
Absolutely, however there is mainly one texture to consider: Matte! This coming fall and winter carries on the trend of contemporary, shine-free nails. Try the look overtop of nude, wine, even metallic! When you apply Essie’s “Matte About You” atop of metallic shades, they transform from chrome to satin. 

Which designer were you most excited to work with? 
I sincerely felt excited to work with every designer, but was most honoured to work closely with the ones I was able to design the nail looks for. I keyed three shows this season, Jill Stuart, Nellie Partow and Wes Gordon, and all three were not only inspiring, but amazing to work with as well.   

How many nails did you paint during NYFW Fall 2014?
 This season I keyed three shows and assisted eight. I would say that I gave roughly 25 backstage manicures at each, so that would add up to about 2,500 individual nails polished in my six days backstage.  

What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you backstage? 
It’s not backstage if there isn’t just a bit of havoc, sometimes there is a lot! Models are oftentimes running from show to show and they’ll arrive late and have to be ready in a snap! Such was the case this year at DKNY. One model came right from [another] show and arrived 15 minutes before our showtime. Imagine this picture: She was sitting in a chair with one manicurist working on each each hand, one manicurist working on each foot, a makeup artist sitting on her lap to apply makeup and two hairstylists preparing her hair. In twelve minutes, seven technicians got her runway ready, she was dressed and lined up in three minutes and effortlessly strolled the runway as if she hadn’t just been through a backstage beauty storm.  

Thinking back to the work you did for Spring 2014, what are the colours and finishes of the season? Will any of these carry over into Fall 2014? 
This spring 2014 is all about nude, subtle nails, shiny and matte. This trend is definitely carrying itself over to this coming fall and winter. Plenty of shows this season showed variations of flesh tone nail looks from flattering sheers to cement-like opaques.  

What are the nail trends that are so 2013? 
If your nail design has more than four colours that is SO 2013. 2014 is all about a minimal approach to nail art.  

Has the nail art trend reached its peak? 
Nail art is not dead; it has matured. It’s all about simple designs that make a big impression. Try a negative space manicure by polishing colour only on your moons, or diagonally down the side of your nail. Nail art doesn’t have to be fussy to make a statement.