Once considered a lowbrow form of art, this past decade has seen a steady rise in nail art’s status and regard within the fashion world and elsewhere. These days, having your nails done isn’t considered an extra, bonus, step. Rather, it is a way of showcasing your style right at your fingertips.
If you’re looking for some nail inspiration this winter, we recommend following Mei Kawajiri. Known online as Nails by Mei, Kawajiri’s clients include A-listers like Dua Lipa and Alexa Demie, as well as fashion brands like Balenciaga and Alexander Wang. She has also won some awards and in October 2019 the British Fashion Council named her as one of their New Wave: Creatives ahead of the Fashion Awards.
Currently based in NYC, Kawajiri had mastered the art of the nail in Japan, having studied first classic manicure techniques at a beauty school in Osaka, before moving onto more risque nail art. “I was thinking [that I wanted to be a] tattoo artist but my mom said no,” she recalled in an interview with Coveteur. “I knew I wanted to have art on my body all the time, [so] I decided I should be a nail artist and went to nail school at the age of 19.”
Her designs these days are anything but conventional. Bold, colorful, and often sparkly—her nails aren’t for the faint of heart. Recent nail art (shared on Instagram) include Stay Home-themed nails, manga nails, and even some pencils and hand made composition notebooks sculpted on her hand.
Join her growing fanbase on Instagram.
