In the eyes of Ama Quashie, nails are tiny blank canvases at our fingertips, on which there are endless possibilities to create. Take, for example, her work on Loewe’s S/S 2024 campaign, which sees the digits of Dame Maggie Smith clasped around a Puzzle bag, her nails perfectly buffed to a matte finish. Or, there’s Quashie’s winter/spring 2023 haute couture runway collaboration with Alaïa, where tiny black and gold heart-shaped embellishments floated gingerly on bare nail tips. She has also sculpted transparent press-ons for Simone Rocha, with clear beads of gel to mimic raindrops on glass; painted nails Tippex white at Vivienne Westwood; and mixed shades of glossy polish to bespoke hues of mallard green for matching manicures and pedicures at Burberry’s latest show.
