CND™ techs creating daring nail art designs for Libertine at NYFW

CND™ reunited with quirky design house, Libertine, for its runway showcase of spring/summer 2018 fashions.

Showcasing irresistibly illicit looks, Libertine’s collection was statement-making and daring, and CND™’s key nail styles told a story of artistic uprising and haute hedonism. Skulls and safety pins, punk appliques, wild spirals, and forbidden hidden treasures featured together to create a glittering underground playground. The theme? Rebellion reigning supreme.

Decadent details sparkled with subversion on the base nails, as pave Swarovski crystals were mosaicked into emoji-like designs, including smiley faces, skulls, and dollar signs. Pave Swarovski crystals also adorned one of the show’s most intricate nail looks: hand-sculpted bird skulls. Crowned in safety pins, the skulls gleamed atop the nails like ancient amulets. 

“Like Libertine, CND™ revels in pushing limits and elevating even the edgiest of expressive styles into beautiful, wearable art,” comments CND™ co-founder and style director, Jan Arnold.

“We cherish our partnership with Johnson (Hartig) not only because he is a true creative collaborator— but an adored and admired friend. He was the first to electrify the fashion world with a chic sense of anarchy and we were thrilled to help reclaim his punk couture roots in such a bold way this season.”

Guided by Arnold and CND™ creative lead, Heather Reynosa, the CND™ Design Lab Team created 3D nail designs that were both sculptural and functional—reaching a level artistry that far transcended embellishment.

Gemstone Venus Flytraps with hinged jaws opened to reveal Libertine’s insignia inside, while working lava lamps bubbled blood red on the tips of the nails. Paraphernalia including tiny spoons and pill capsules spilling out a ‘dose of fabulousness’ alluded to the illicit atop the nails, while blade-like hidden treasures warned that danger was lurking underneath the nail’s surface as well. 

“Over the course of seven seasons working with Johnson, our creative spirits have become tightly entwined with that we can’t help but make magic on the runway,” said Reynosa. “So taking our artistry to a hedonistic place this season was a supremely fun challenge, in that it inspired these incredible, indulgent designs paid tribute not only to the spirit of a ‘libertine’ in the most literal sense of the word, but also to Libertine’s roots as a design house.” 

CND™ products are available in the UK via www.sweetsquared.com