Runway throwback: the most iconic nail art The detail that is often ignored, simply because if noticed, it would steal the whole scene

Nails are one of those details that are always present at fashion shows, yet almost no one truly looks at them. We take them for granted, leaving them in the background while focusing on everything else. And yet, on the runway, they matter just as much as the clothes and the make-up: nail art crafted down to the smallest detail to convey the attitude, aesthetic, and mood of a show. Here’s a runway throwback entirely focused on some of the most iconic nail art moments of recent years.

Runway nails to copy: patterns, colors, and charms

Ed Hardy Fall/Winter 2024

Ed Hardy, in its major return to the fashion scene in 2024, cemented the Y2K trend by bringing runway nail art that perfectly embodies it: nails reminiscent of those multicolored silicone earrings, spikey and loud. We all wanted them (or had them).

Heatherette Fall/Winter 2005

The Heatherette FW 2005 show was a full-on fever dream rooted in a childlike world: toy patterns, pom-poms, and charms of every shape imaginable. And of course, the nails followed suit: pastel bases topped with instantly recognizable white charms, like bows and pacifiers.

The Blonds Fall/Winter 2015

For Fall 2015, The Blonds staged an intensely cinematic universe, drawing inspiration from directors like Jodorowsky and Kubrick, all the way to the genderless iconicity of Tilda Swinton in Orlando. Completing the picture were the nails: robotic, dreamlike, and unmistakably iconic.

Libertine Fall/Winter 2016

Libertine has always been one step ahead when it comes to runway nail art. At Fall/Winter 2016 Fashion Week, the brand fully confirmed it, turning nails into true micro works of art: brightly colored resin eyes, surreal and striking, applied to the tip of each individual nail.

Philipp Plein Fall/Winter 2017

Philipp Plein has always sparked conversation with his clothing, but at the Fall/Winter 2017 show he pushed the concept even further, bringing truly iconic nail art to the runway: pierced black nails connected by chains, creating a super edgy, rock-inspired effect.

Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2015

Vivienne Westwood’s Spring/Summer show, titled "End Ecocide", celebrated children and their ability to inspire us. The nails—opalescent and ultra-luminous—perfectly embodied that vaporwave aesthetic that dominated those years.