Charlotte Knight happens to be the mastermind behind the textured nails trend. Known from NYC to Tokyo for the caviar manicure, here shes goes again with the velvet manicure. Of course, at Luxsure, we couldn’t resist but ask her abotu her passion for textured manicures and her plans for the future.
Interview by Mary Yasmine Arrouche
> Why have you chosen to import such textures to nails ?
Nail art has become a huge trend in the beauty industry and I really wanted to take this to the next level with the caviar, velvet and sequined manicures. I had an idea to create 3D nail products that exuberated decadence and luxury and reflected the catwalk trends. Velvet was all over the AW12 runways and I wanted to bring out an affordable, luxury product so you can get the catwalk look for your nails too.
> How did the idea come up to you ?
For over ten years I worked as a salon based nail technician running my own chain of nail bars before moving on to session work. I saw a gap in the market for a professional and unique colour range for both the at home manicurist and the professional nail technician. This is when the concept of Ciaté was born. I wanted to create a paint pot collection that embraced seasonal fashion trends and shared the innovations found on the catwalk.
> Any future plans targeting the textured nails industry ?
I’m always inspired by fashion week and I like to challenge myself to re-create the key looks through nail varnish so I might develop anything from a leather manicure to a concrete manicure – just watch this space. I want to make sure Ciaté keeps its mantra of innovation and continues to push the boundaries of nail polish.
> What made you choose the nails industry ?
The nail industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and the challenge of building a business specialising in nails especially in this economy is so exciting. The industry has changed so much over the years and so has customers’ expectations. Customers now want affordable, luxury products that deliver great results instantly and Ciaté is rising to that challenge.
> How do you explain your rise to fame and celebrities and designers using your creations ?
Since March the reaction to Caviar has been incredible and the excitement is still going. Gossip Girl star Jessica Szohr was photographed applying our Caviar Manicure in a Park in LA and Pink has been tweeting her Caviar Manicured nails which is incredible. Most recently superstar Blake Lively was photographed with our latest launch, the Velvet Manicure. It’s amazing seeing global celebrities wearing our products and such an honour that they have organically chosen our range. This year we worked on Terry Mugler’s SS13 show at Paris Fashion Week which was fabulous, it was especially fantastic that they approached us for this opportunity. I think the media has been so influential to our success as the beauty editors have written great reviews around the product and are so excited to see what we do next.