How nail art became hype – and what the whole thing has to do with empowerment
“Nail art is something very personal. There is no right or wrong, no good or bad”: That’s what Charissa Chioccarelli, founder of the trendy store, thinksIsla Berlin. When she talks about nail design, it quickly becomes clear that for her the beauty hype is so much more than just a trend. For Chioccarelli area tool for self-expression - they empower, make statements, are fashion it-pieces.
Charissa Chioccarelli is not alone with this view of things: whether in Berlin or Vienna - especially since the pandemic, cool nail salons have been springing up in many cities and reaching open-minded, experimental clients who are not afraid of daring designs and extra-long nails . No wonder, such nails are omnipresent on Instagram, TikTok and also in pop culture:rocks them on the red carpet, Cardi B shows them in music videos, Rosalía wears them on stage.
The historical roots of nail art
Nail art has been around longer than you would think. Even in ancient Babylon, men painted their fingers, with the color varying depending on their social status. Women did the same in ancient Egypt or in the Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), where colors such as gold, silver, red and black in particular symbolized high status.
During the Ming Dynasty, nail modeling, i.e. the artificial extension of the fingernails, also emerged: Here, noble women wore long fingernails to show that they did not have to do any manual work. Acrylic lengthening was finally invented by accident in 1954 by the American dentist Frederick Slack, who repaired a broken nail with dental plastic, thereby laying the foundation for an entire industry.
Over the years, nail art has gone from being the ultimate luxury item to becoming a widely accessible styling tool. In the 70s and 80s, women of color in the USA in particular discovered their great love for nails as an expression of their self-determination. In this context, Florence Griffith-Joyner went down in history as she won gold at the 1984 Olympic Games and caused a stir with her nails. She said in interviews that she was repeatedly told that she could never be good enough for the Olympics with her long nails, her hairstyle and her styled looks. She proved her critics wrong, became a three-time Olympic champion, a one-time world champion and set world records that still stand today.
Where do prejudices against nail art come from?
Many women know the prejudices that Griffith-Joyner was confronted with - because they are systematic. In “The Managed Hand,” sociologist Miliann Kang writes about nail art: “Long sculpted, airbrushed fingernails were signs of Blackness, sexual deviance, and marginalized femininity.” French manicure and restrained designs used to stand for"white,bourgeois, heteronormative beauty,” says Kang looking back.
These attributions are one of the reasons why nail art was long considered “trashy and tasteless” for many people, dismissed as “pussy” and why hyper-feminine looks are still subject to prejudice today. OppositeBayern 2explains fashion theorist Diana Weis that the prejudices surrounding Griffith-Joyner “, classism andunite” and these preconceived opinions often come into play when it comes to things that “give women joy”.
Author Jovana Reisinger writes about exactly this joy and the prejudices associated with it in her book“Pleasure”. Here she reports, among other things, her thoughts during a visit to the nail salon: “Manicures and pedicures are considered status symbols for some, namely when they create a tolerable, subtle and, above all, clean type of femininity. (...) Everything that goes beyond that, chrome, patterns, glitter, serves as a reference to the street: vulgar, cheap, dangerous and therefore beautifully cuddly. These fingers reach for attention (...).”
Hold hands with like-minded people
Back to the present. With Isla Berlin, Charissa Chioccarelli wanted to create a place where women can connect, without any pressure to consume. In her shop you can get your nails done, but you can also shop, listen to women's DJ sets or just chat. When she founded Isla, there were hardly any comparable stores - she even had to fly an expert from London to bring the love of modern nail art to Germany.
Since its founding, an enthusiastic community has formed around Isla Berlin - because nails connect, as Chioccarelli has discovered in recent years: “Nails are such a good way to get in touch with others. For example, if you see someone on the subway and compliment them on their cool nails and you realize: We're somehow on the same wavelength. This is such a great conversation starter. We show who we are with our nails. Just like with our clothes.”
Also bandage nails because a two-hour nail appointment is almost like therapy, says Charissa Chioccarelli. “We know our community so well because we literally hold hands. People tell their deepest secrets, share their best and worst experiences of the last few months.”
Maria Popov knows this feeling of connection. She does her own nails – and those of her friends too. “To save money, I ordered a set with a UV lamp to my home. The initial intention to save money turned into a collection of nail polishes in a variety of colors, glitter and 3D modeling gel,” says the presenter and journalist.
Little by little, she taught herself to imitate designs that she saw on Instagram: “My friends and I always send each other the latest inspo - we have a special chat group on Instagram for that. When I do their nails, I call it a hand-holding appointment.” For Maria, all of this even has something meditative: “I put my cell phone away and forget about the messages or mine for a moment.”
Nail Art: Feminism or just another stressful beauty ideal?
The question still remains as to whether nail art, as it is practiced, worn and lived out today, has anything to do with feminist self-determination or whether women are simply giving in to another patriarchal beauty ideal that costs money and exerts pressure. Fashion theorist Weis definitely sees potential for feminist statements in nail art: According to the expert, long nails represent “defensive femininity” – and after all, feminism also means encouraging women to be who they want to be.
Maria also doesn't believe in the assumption that colorful nail designs and feminism are mutually exclusive: “The idea that feminists are vain or even ugly is a super-outdated cliché that still persists. I think quite the opposite: the trend of celebrating hyperfemininity, i.e. extra-long nails, high heels and miniskirts that are more belt than skirt, evades an aesthetic that men would celebrate instead of centering. The girls do what they think is hot and feel hot doing it. They enjoy the girl gang’s TikTok comments and don’t wait for applause from the bro club.”
