Fashion brand Ruffian is making it even easier to get its eccentric runway manicures at home with a new nail polish collection. The lacquer line will be released with the help of Birchbox this Fall, according to WWD. But this week, Birchbox Facebook fans will get to vote on their three favorite shades to be shipped in the September box. The starter hues include Delirium (a vibrant plum), Fox Hunt (a burnt orange), Lady Alabaster (a pastel lavender), Venus in Fur (a muted champagne), and Hedge Fund (a forest green).
Designer Brian Wolk also hopes to retail in stores beginning this September, too. The debut will be timed with Ruffian's Spring 2014 showing during New York Fashion Week. The brand is already known for its extensive nail designs on the runway, and last year it collaborated with MAC on half-moon tips. This news is just the most recent in a long list of high-fashion designers jumping on the nail craze, including Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, and Jason Wu.
Claude Morais and Brian Wolk have long sung the praises of Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. Not only have the duo made it their home for years, but they've also dedicated much of their La Vie en Ruffian column to calling out the finer qualities of their favorite stomping ground. It was really only a matter of time, really, before the aesthetic of the neighborhood's hipster denizens made it into their collection.
The designers have always had a thing for posh-meets-punk, and for Spring 2013 it melded together beautifully. This season, the posh came in the form of toile de Jouy prints on charmeuse and chiffon, metallic-threaded jacquard, tie-neck blouses, and that good ol' Ruffian staple: ruffles. The punk manifested in boxy silhouettes, cropped boy jackets, slouchy trousers, swooshing skirts, and seams that felt just a little undone. And for that final dose of dressed-down cool: Chuck Taylors. Those were worn with every look.
Not to be outdone by the announcement of Target's and Neiman Marcus's upcoming collaboration extravaganza, eBay has announced that it too will partner with some very big names for Holiday 2012.
Seven designers — Billy Reid, Chris Benz, Fallon, Jonathan Adler, Ruffian, Steven Alan, and Tibi — have teamed with the cyber giant to create a limited edition collection, online November 12. The 40-piece collection — titled eBay Holiday Collective — will feature about five pieces from each designer and will include womenswear, menswear, jewelry, travel, electronic accessories, and home decor; all pieces will ship for free and are priced from $50 to $100.
"Thrilled to be collab'ing w @eBay_Fashion this holiday on a ltd edition, locally made collection. All my friends can attest I love Ebay!" Fallon's Dana Lorenz tweeted following the announcement, while Chris Benz responded "You & me, both, sister! Xx". In fact, it seems a love of eBay was somewhat of a prerequisite. All the participating designers were chosen because of "their genuine enthusiasm for eBay," the brand's general manager of fashion, Jeff Somers said, adding that "each [designer] brings originality and a distinct point of view, and embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of our marketplace."
See all the pieces, with prices, here.
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No manicure says classic glamour quite like a half-moon design, but most of us don't have the time to get the ovals perfectly precise. That's where Ruffian's collaboration with MAC comes in. The fashion duo has partnered with the makeup giant before, but this time, the endeavor extends to three sets of ready-to-go manicures. Each set ($25) has 24 preglued, presized nails with tips and moons created by designers Brian Wolk and Claude Morais. Sure, you could break out the nail art kit and create a half-moon look on your own (here's how). And you could always re-create the Spring 2011 runway manicure that inspired these premade nails. But if you're looking for flawless results in a fraction of the time, why would you go any other way?
>> Elle style director Kate Lanphear has a good explanation for fashion's current obsession with street style.
Lanphear recently sat down with Ruffian's Brian Wolk and Claude Morais to discuss the industry, her personal style, and why she loves her work. "My job is to make people dream, and to get them excited about dressing in a new way," she says. Below, a few more highlights from the interview.
On the current obsession with street style: "It's a by-product of social media. There is a true wealth of information online now, but the coverage first began in Japanese street style magazines. At the time, the economy was more robust—people were buying goods from luxury brands, but they didn't necessarily know how to wear them. People were hungry for ideas, but magazines were just shooting full looks, so if it didn't resonate with you on the runway, these street style mags were a great source of inspiration."
On growing up in the South: "I love the culture of the South, and the people there, but living in New York is a dream. There was a time when everyone around me said this dream would never come true. I still pinch myself every day. When I work, I always think about that girl in Virginia—what I'd want to wear, what I dreamed about then, and what I would have wanted to see in a magazine. For that girl, fantasy and fashion collide in simple images with a real spirit, like a gorgeous woman getting a coffee or hailing a yellow cab."
Her favorite lie: "'Your ass looks small in that!'"
Recent nail art looks from the runways have been as bold and fun as ever, like these half-moon manicures created by CND at Ruffian. Want to try it out? Check out our latest video to see how you can get a similar look at home.
Bold, colorful nail designs caught our attention on the runways at New York Fashion Week Fall 2011. From the red and gold manicures at Jason Wu to bright, glittery nails at Jeremy Scott, we've rounded up five top nail looks. Watch now!
There's plenty of great clothing coming down the runways right now, but Fashion Week is also the place where some of the coolest, most inventive, and certain most trendsetting manicures first appear. Over the past few days, a ton of new nail shades have graced models' digits, but only a few of them will have the impact to arrive on drugstore shelves come September. From what I've seen so far, here are my picks for the five manicures most likely to become style bywords next season.
