One of my clients recently returned from a vacation in Hawaii. She was in yesterday bearing a bag of Mauna Loa Maui onion and garlic macadamia nuts (which, if you ever bring me a gift from Hawaii, is exactly what I want, by the way) and anticipating a new toenail color.

While we chitchatted about her vacation and my tradeshow trip to Vegas, how awesome this flavor of macadamia nuts is, and who's farther along in the much talked-about Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, she mentioned that while she was in Hawaii she noticed several young girls wearing their toenail polish with either every toenail a different color, or two colors alternating across the nails.

And then she said, "What's up with that?" And, quite frankly, it struck me as a pretty silly question.

What is up with fashion trends? Is there, in fact, anything "up" with trends? And if there is, does anyone know what it is? And how does one determine who's explanation of "up" is correct?

It's just a trend. There's nothing "up" with it. It's what the girls are doing.

Point is, I had no idea how to answer her question. So I shrugged and said, "Uh huh, it's in right now, I do a lot of that."

I'm not sure it was the answer she was looking for. I was left with the feeling that maybe she was expecting there to be a legitimate explanation — maybe a reason, maybe an origin of the trend.

Maybe I should make up a story? Like how it's symbolic of world peace, representing multiple countries and/or cultures coming together to live side by side? Or maybe it should be a political statement? Two colors that represent the two major political parties in the U.S. co-existing to create a cohesive pattern that maintains a perfectly balanced, symbiotic relationship? Like, "Pink and green can work together in the same pedicure, why can't YOU?!"

??????

Great. Isn’t that just like a business owner? I started off writing a lighthearted little blog and now it's turned into a major marketing plan: I'm envisioning a new pedicure, maybe a fundraiser. Like a "Kicking Cancer Pedi" with each nail painted in the corresponding color to the adopted ribbon color for each type of cancer and a portion of the proceeds donated to research? Or maybe a statement pedi for the upcoming election. Maybe a "Kick-up the Vote Pedi"? I could do alternating red and blue to represent the whole red/blue state thing to send a message that we're tired of the two major political parties spending all their time and our money fighting with each other over party lines instead of working together to accomplish things.

All I wanted was a fun answer to a silly question, and now I have a new marketing idea.