Images: Imaxtree
Another fashion month is over — and what a season it’s been. There were lots of viral moments, from Dolce & Gabbana flying drones down the runway to Christopher Bailey taking his final bow as creative director of Burberry with a joyful LGBTQ rainbow finale. Aside from all the runway drama, there were a number of swoon-worthy beauty looks to enthrall us, especially on the manicure front.
The Fall 2018 shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris were chock-full of nail inspiration. Past seasons seemed like a competition to see who could deliver the most elaborate nail art, but this season saw a more minimalist nail look throughout. When nail art was used, it was carefully designed to enhance a particular part of the nail rather than using embellishment just for the sake of it. The restrained approach to nail art allowed the colors and finishes of manicures to take center stage with new neutrals, unexpected metallics and rich red shades proving to be clear favorites. Naturally, it wouldn’t be the fall shows without an excellent offering of moody dark manicures.
Click through the gallery above to see the biggest nail trends from the Fall 2018 runways.
[ Next: 10 Nail Looks We Can’t Wait to Try From Fashion Week Spring 2018 ]
The 7 Fall 2018 Runway Nail Trends You'll Want to Copy
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New Metallics
Gold, silver, bronze? Not today. The Fall 2018 shows looked beyond standard metallics to unique shades. Take the prismatic green manicures at Cividini.
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New Metallics
Fun fact: The green-blue holographic nails at the Naeem Khan show were inspired by the shell of an insect that the designer saw in Peru. Even those who don't like bugs have to admit that the manicure is stunning.
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New Metallics
The Sophia Webster Fall 2018 show was filled with nail inspiration. These blinged-out nails covered the metallic and unexpected accents trends. Even without the embellishment on the moons, the nails would look like jewels thanks to the holographic red base.
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Unexpected Accents
Manicurist Jin Soon Choi contrasted neutral nail polish with red and green accent nails at Tibi. Look closely and see that the unifying factor is that the moons were left unpainted on all nails.
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Unexpected Accents
Moschino offered a girly take on the moon manicure with cotton candy pink moons paired with a flamingo pink base. Take inspiration from the runway and contrast the mani with pastel jewelry and clothes.
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Unexpected Accents
The glossy black manicures at Antonio Marras were juxtaposed with an ornate design on the index finger. The detailed nail art framed a floral design with a red circle and black swirls. Plus, it tied into the rich red eye makeup.
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Unexpected Accents
Foreheads and eyes weren't the only body parts decorated with glitter at Preen. The ivory manicures got a shimmery finish thanks to a dusting of the same sparkles.
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Top Tips
Rhinestones showed up in a number of unexpected places at the Fall 2018 shows, including models' cuticles at the Bibhu Mohapatra show. Not to be missed was the swoop moon manicures Miss Pop Nails created with slicks of white nail varnish.
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Top Tips
At first glance, it may not seem like anything was done to nails at Huishan Zhang. Look again to see the faint glitter tips on the glossy base. It's faint but so pretty.
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Top Tips
Cut-outs in clothes are nothing new, but in manicures? Now that is something different. We wouldn't expect anything less from avant-garde designer Gareth Pugh who sent models down the runway with long black and indigo talons with circular cut-outs on the stiletto tips.
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Statement Prints
There's no need to decorate the entire nail area with a checkerboard pattern. Chromat enhanced rich red nail polish with a few well-placed black squares in a diagonal line.
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Statement Prints
There was no shortage of color and pattern at Jeremy Scott. Miss Pop Nails ensured digits wouldn't get lost against the neon wigs and graphic eye makeup thanks to cheetah nail art. The design was applied to natural nails for a modern take.
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Statement Prints
And the award for most unconventional nail treatment goes to the Tadashi Shoji show for decorating deep red talons with a mini fishnet fabric. It created a cool textured effect that looked like snakeskin.
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Deep and Dark
The blue and purple ombre lips at Self-Portrait were dark, but the manicures were even deeper thanks to the navy nail polish. It's as close to black as we can get without actually being black.
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Deep and Dark
Area matched lips and tips with chocolate brown on both features. Some models also sported the rich shade on eyes. Others wore bright blue and yellow eye makeup.
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Deep and Dark
The rich berry tones at Prabal Gurung were enhanced via the plum manicures. As with the majority of dark manicures, nails were kept short and rounded and completed with a high-shine top coat.
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Deep and Dark
Hunter green is sometimes overlooked in favor of navy, berry and dark purple, but the manicures at Marc Jacobs will hopefully serve as a reminder of how cool deep green digits can be.
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Deep and Dark
The makeup at the Vionnet Fall 2018 show was light, but the manicures were dark. Models' nails were accented with a midnight blue nail varnish.
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Deep and Dark
The 3.1 Phillip Lim show also made a case for unexpected dark nails with a brownish green shade. Jin Soon Choi used the dark polish along with beige and gold to play off the collection's bold patterns.
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Rich Red
Sometimes you cannot go wrong with a classic look. Take the rounded nails with glossy true red nail polish at the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2018 show.
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Rich Red
Nails were punctuated with a vivid cherry red nail polish at Zadig & Voltaire. The shorter nail shape was a change compared to the expected long talons.
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Rich Red
All red nail polishes are not the same. The oxblood manicures at the Temperley London Fall 2018 show projected a moodier, vampy finish compared to the traditional red.
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Rich Red
The swipes of powder blue eyeshadow at Peter Pilotto were a modern take on a throwback style but the bright red manicure is a timeless classic. Together they created a stunning look.
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Rich Red
The brick red nail polish at the Etro Fall 2018 show was the definition of autumn. No leaf nail art necessary.
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New Neutrals
Enjoy the diamanté embellishment on the eyes, but don't forget to look at the soft manicures at Kate Spade New York. Deborah Lippmann painted nails with a soft beige nail polish.
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New Neutrals
The hair and makeup look at Tom Ford were bold (look at those leather headbands) but the manicures were more low key. An ivory nail polish was painted on short, rounded nails for a clean finish.
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New Neutrals
Experiencing déjà vu? Like Tom Ford, the Marcel Ostertag Fall 2018 show selected an oyster nail polish. Here, the ivory manicures were shown with bold red lipstick.
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New Neutrals
Don't write neutral nail polish off as boring. The right shade can brighten skin and make fingers look as gorgeous as a hand model's. See the soft stone nail polish at the Stella Jean Fall 2018 show.
