This year’s New York Fashion Week has had several noteworthy manicure moments. But I couldn’t help but notice elegant and understated styles dominating the runway, behind the scenes and on many celebrity hands. From Joey King’s classic chestnut hue to the return of the French manicure, minimalist manis ruled. My favorite was at Prabal Gurung’s Spring Summer 2025 show, where lead manicurist Gina Edwards used a $9 nail set to create an elevated quartz-inspired look in minutes.
Prabal Gurung’s SS 2025 collection was inspired by Holi, the Indian festival celebrating “spring, love and new life.” Edwards’s nail design “symbolize freshness and movement of life” and began with KISS’ Bare But Better Nails in style Nude Drama. She adds, “The nail look created for Prabal was based on the optimism for the future. The smokey quartz nail is a symbol of spreading light and hope.”
Thanks to tips from Edwards herself, creating your model-inspired manicure is easier than you think. Start by shaping Bare But Better Nails into a soft stiletto shape, and then apply the artificial nail with nail glue. Edwards recommends mixing white nail polish with a top coat to create the coveted softness. Then, with a striper brush ($8), brush a line from the tip halfway up the nail in an ‘S’ motion. Repeat until you’ve achieved your desired style. Apply another layer of top coat and voilà, you’ve just created a salon-worthy NYFW manicure on a budget.
