The 2019 Fashion Week CND x The Blonds collection showcases excessive wealth and materialistic luxury. As dark as it is dramatic, the collection craved nails that elevated the level of opulence found in each piece.

“The Blonds inspire us to explore new technologies, new techniques and elevated artistic approaches to create mind blowing moments on the runway," says CND co-founder Jan Arnold. "We are beyond proud of the work we have done with the Blonds and are honored to continue to bring their vision to life with the extravagance that only a well-executed nail story can bring to a collection."

"Our goal with this collection was to really bring to life a level of affluent and maximalist materialism that is so over the top, it’s never been seen on nails before," says lead nail artist Shelena Robinson. "We implemented new techniques and used technology to create one-of-kind textures and looks to truly elevate the nails to their maximum potential."

The Nail Technique:

Standout Nail #1: The Crocodile by CND Design Lab nail artist Winnie Huang

Designed to replicate real animal skin on nails, Winnie utilized her curiosity in textures, nature and organic things to make a design that was raised, 3-D and impactful. Winnie worked to mimic the texture and feel of crocodile skin by forming putty around a toy alligator’s body, creating a mold. She then hand pressed each nail into the template, adhering the texture to the nail. Each nail was tinted with sheer black alcohol ink, Creative Play Gel Polish Top Coat, and finished with a black chrome pigment powder, ensuring the nails would catch the light in just the right way on the runway.

This couture manicure is complete with two accents, including rings attached to nails encrusted with crystal pixies and beads, and a beaded fringe to add a final touch to an already fearsome set.

Standout Nail #2: The Claw by CND Design Lab nail artist Tracey Lee

Inspired by the primal mood board of The Blonds and her home of South Africa, Tracey knew she wanted to use this collection to put a spin on animal print nails. Tracey researched several species and variation of claws until she found the perfect template. Each talon was created to fit each individual nail, using 3-D technology to print and then adhere to the nail using acrylic liquid and powder. Tracey coated the nail in CND polish and layered on Shellac Top Coat, finally using CND Black Pool and glitter to create texture in the tiger stripe pattern. The look is topped off with jet black Swarovski crystals at the base of the claw.

The 3-D printing technology allows for a light-weight yet dangerously impactful look, cutting down a process that would have taken well over nine hours to complete without disrupting the overall craftmanship of the finished product.

Every year, Jan and her CND nail pros take our breath away with the nail artistry they present to us, capturing the essence of our collection. It’s one of our favorite parts of the creative process every single year, and this time around they’ve really taken it to the next level.