Phoebe Philo Leads Sheer Nail Trend for Fall

A fashion changemaker and now beauty mogul, Phoebe Philo just cast her bid for a new fall nail trend.

The 51-year-old designer has unveiled the latest campaign, titled Collection C, for her namesake brand, alongside a slew of images starring French director and actress Mati Diop. In the close-up images shared on the brand’s Instagram on Tuesday, Diop can be seen sporting square-shaped talons, each coated in a different neutral hue.

The length alone rattles the current fall nail forecast — which is short — while the shape is in line with what’s predicted to come out on top in the forthcoming months. The colors were standard, too, but the style was something entirely different. Rather than keeping with the standard shine or even the less-favored matte finish, Diop donned sheer nails. The tips on her middle and ring fingers were painted in translucent shades, leaving her nail beds visible.

Sheer nails have slowly but surely made their way onto Pinterest boards in recent months, but have yet to make it big on red carpets and runways. Instead, celebrities and models are boasting opaque shades in the form of milky pink, burgundy, brown and midnight blue. A few are resurrecting the French tip craze of the early 2000s, reimagining the clean aesthetic in funky designs, including polka dots, chrome and tortoise print tips.

Nail Excellence Awards founders Tanaya Middleton and Selina Payne-Ferebee recently predicted that the once-beloved summer pastels like butter yellow aren’t going anywhere this cool-weather season; they’re simply evolving into harsher shades. Think mustard yellow and olive green. For anyone desperate for the summer warmth, Middleton and Payne-Ferebee suggested adding layers of gold and copper shimmer to lighten these bold colors.

“Clean line work, negative space or touches of gold foil look so chic, while trendy finishes like chrome or animal prints give them a bold edge,” Middleton said in the press release.