Toronto fashion week may focus on the fabulous clothing but here at Beauty Desk, we're all about the hair makeup and, of course, the nails! We caught up with Rita Remark, Lead Nail Artist for Essie Canada and got the scoop on the fall/winter Toronto Fashion Week nail trends and also tiny peek into how she got to where she is (which, by the way, is top of her game).
How did you first get into the nail design game? How did you get involved with Essie?
I got into the nail game through make-up art. Initially I pursued a career as a make-up artist, but fell in love with manicuring and nail art along the way. I had been working in salon for about five years when the opportunity to work with Essie came along. At that time I had already begun to work backstage at fashion week and on set for fashion shoots, so teaming up with Essie was a perfect match and a nail artist's dream job! It's been a blissful relationship for two years and counting.
What's the process for coming up with a design for a fashion week show?
No two shows are the same. Sometimes designers have an exact idea in mind, while others may give me a bit more creative freedom. Every collection tells a story and it’s up to the make-up artist, hairstylist and myself to help carry out that vision. It’s all about asking the right questions. I want to know what inspired the collection. What kind of woman are they dressing this season? Is she sexy? edgy? Finally, I love being able to see the actual clothing, the patterns, fabrics and textures. This all plays a role in finding the perfect nail look to suit the collection and the feel of the show.
This is inspired by ‘70s style. It’s a negative space with a chevron. We made it contemporary by matte-ifying it. This burgundy shade is huge for fall/winter. We used “Berry Naughty”. The best way to get the lines drawn for a negative space is to just use tape. Stick the tape near the cuticle and take it off when it’s dry. We don’t use any special tools for this one, the Essie brush is pretty square and makes drawing lines easy.
