Wah Wah Wah

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DSC_2557 For in-the-know Londoners (or maybe even ones who don't-wish-to-know-but-know-anyway‚Ķ.) WAH Nails is old news.  For those across the Atlantic where nail bars are rife and manicures are supposedly part of a routine (or so go the US/UK beauty routine cliches‚Ķ), something like WAH Nails may even be more of a snore.  Or perhaps not?  I'm by no means a nail bar connoisseur as I am in fact one of those unruly haired, unkempt women who gets a manicure once in a blue moon.

Nevertheless, I've had my reasons for not having made it to WAH Nails since it opened last summer to MUCH press and hullaballoo (check the Google Blog search).  My time hasn't been my own much and given my lazy beauty tendencies, I couldn't exactly prioritise say a hair cut above ker-azy nail art.  But on this snowy day, I did the trek out because I feel like if ANYTHING is going to make it into the empty and dusty Beauty category of this blog, WAH Nails has got to be there.

Founder of WAH Nails and WAH Magazine Sharmadean Reid is no stranger to the fashion industry though which explains why WAH has had so much WOW WOW WOWs all round.  I'll list her creds‚Ķ but she probably has a few more to add‚Ķ. sportswear editor at Arena Homme +, stylist , does consultancy for Nike etc etc.  Sharma wanted to create a nail place in Dalston (and there are MANY around here‚Ķ) that reflected fashion trends semi-demonstrated by these poor shots of the nail art samps (better to peruse their oft-updated blog)….

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Some of you might have caught Elle's blog on their WAH experience where they got 'Balmania' nails done proving that you can also bring a fabric swatch, a photo and they'll do their best to go all out on your nails.  Let me loose on those felt tip pens and I'd probably give you a non-descript scribble…

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WAH was also selling Sharma-scoured vintage clothes which I was hoping to catch but at the mo, there is none.  Other than zee nails though, WAH does serve as a gallery space where illustrator Niki Pilkington is currently exhibiting…

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…as well as a purveyor of vintage mags, zines and records…

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‚Ķand the sole stockist of Stussy for girls, according to Mandi Lennard's on-the-pulse blog (she wrote about WAH back in August…big FAIL on my account)…

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I'm probably missing some finer points here as I'm not err‚Ķnail-savvy.  "Oh they're um‚Ķ REAL shiny!"  *Hangs head in shame*

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Suffice to say I'll join the rest of the yay-sayers and give a very ornately painted thumbs up.  I'm planning on coming back with a more considered design of my own but for now, they're Aztec-tipped with a background of lilac…

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Oh, and they're heading to Selfridges AND Topshop Oxford Circus during London Fashion Week so if Kingsland Road is too far of a trek for some of you, ye can get some WAH action from Feb 19th – 23rd.

Yay me for completing a semi-coherent post for the beauty category…

48 comments

  1. vintage, fashion illustrations and designing your own nail art? if nail salons in the u.s were like that best believe i would be getting my nails done on a regular basis. over here they’re pretty bland and astringent. and most of the women who get there nails done on a regular basis are not exactly fashion forward. think overly done middle aged women and paris hilton wannabees

  2. Oh Suze, I so meant to go there last year but somehow never made it. I saw dead of the dead style skull nails on their blog and now I’m obsessed with the idea of getting them done. Deffo on my fashion week to do list then… wonder if we can persuade Steve to try them out too?

  3. omg that’s awesome!!! I gotta say nail culture is an interesting one…kinda cheesy by default. But those above designs are amazing! I mean I’ve seen some really cool Japanese nail art, but this is different. Bring in your favorite swatch from the season and walk out with it on your nails? Incredible.
    V

  4. Loving the aztec designs. And those Diet Cokes are to die for. A fashion week manicure is on the cards.
    Niki Pilkington stuff is awesome too.
    x

  7. My friend has the patience to do her nails like that herself. She draws giraffes and frogs on it and it’s so perfectly detailed, that it’d almost freak you out. Way better than fakies.

  8. When I was younger I was really obsessed with this game where you could design nails, so WAH would have probably been my dreamplace back then 😀

  9. Ooh, I loved wah nails and I do nail art all the time – this looks great! Thanks for the heads up!

  12. Interesting input on nail culture…obviously I haven’t a clue what it’s like over in US…here generally, it’s gotten better over the last decade or so… Nails Inc etc and then the more ‘ghetto’ places in further out areas…
    I wasn’t sure whether there was a WAH-type equivalent in the US…it’s definitely one of a kind here….
    EJ: We shall, we shall – but we must remember to book!

  13. News Flash: For anyone that’s in-the-know, nail art is still very ghetto – if that’s cool then cool. However, it‚Äôs not so cool for the style world to make it seem new and ‘fashion’. Nail art is really just a ghetto girl expressing herself.

  14. Those nails are lovely and the nails are short. Here in the UK the best nails are super long and over designed… I love that your are simple.

  15. Alba: I definitely have ZERO knowledge of what is ghetto or what isn’t… I never said this is ‘new’… we all know nail art has been around for eons but I’m just saying that as nail establishments go in London, WAH is pretty unique… (unless someone else can point me in another direction…)

  16. Holy schmoly! Those are some intricate nails. I’m like you, I don’t get manis very often – especially in the winter when my nails are usually hiding under gloves or sweater sleeves.
    I do love 3 in 1 shops – nail salon/gallery/retailer/cafe…So if I ever make it back to London, Wah Nails will be on my list.

  17. I’m impressed and even a bit tempted. Never had a manicure in my life and given up on nail varnish because it seems just too much work for something that looks chipped and ugly after a few hours (or is that just me using my hands too much?). Also FYI, Susie, I was tagged and asked to tag my favourite blogs, so I had to mention you. Sabine x

  19. I am looking forward to my May trip to London more since reading this post. Wow. Amazing. So many of those designs are so cool. I don’t get manicures often, but mostly because I am a bit obsessed with doing my OWN nails. And nobody does them as well as me. (Similar to how I feel about my eyebrows- but I’m even more strict with them.) However- this joint has my total faith, and surely they will show my skills up in a heartbeat. I love the design you picked. I mean…come on, sure- some are tacky. But some are fabulous mini-accessories. This is a cool post.
    xox
    d

  20. The Peter Jensen and argyle designs are sweet and I dig the ones you chose too but what’s with the diet coke design?!!!

  21. I love the Aztec in lilac-but the radiation symbol has to be my fave. Loud, quirky, and fun nail designs. I LOVE IT.
    watermelonfeet.blogspot.com

  23. I can’t stand fake nails like this. All I can think of is tacky, tacky, tacky.
    Love the illustrations though. And when I first glanced at Women Stencils I thought it was a book on Che’. Better put my glasses on.

  24. Your nails look epic, Susie! That selection is incredible. I’ve never got my nails done before but that would be so cool!

  25. Diane: They’re not fake or anything…. they’re just samples for you to choose for your own nails….or did you mean the fakeness of the designs?

  27. congrats on that post it awsome i like it now and considering it but i live all the way in montreal i must look in this city for something similar !!

  30. hey Diane, we dont just do “fake” nails AKA extensions, 9/10 nails we do are on natural nails…we just use the tips to showcase the designs!
    and not all our nail art is ghetto – in fact, we hardly do any palm tree/Viet style flicky designs, tonight i painted a ruler on someones fingers, i cant see a ghetto girl having that!
    And thanks a ton Susie on such a great post! Come back soon!!! xx

  31. I’m painting my nails right now. A process that takes hours because I constantly screw up. Actually I just put so much paint on that they never dry and I end up knocking them on something.
    The aztec design is the one that caught my eye, good choice and excellent post! 🙂

  32. Loving the nails. I prefer natural nails too and would love to get my nails done like this. Roll on LFW!

  34. i love nail art. but have really only gone all out once. pink and skulls and crossbones and diamonds. this is a while back. but my favourite nail art idea was a gallery in the bronx, you could have the paintings on the walls done as your nail art. shnice!

  40. Ohhh my GOD, love those nails! I have a total nail-fetish, the more Shenaynay, the better! This is not Shenaynay though, this is just LOVELY! xx

  41. wow! the illustrations are truly amazing!!!
    i just found your blog and i must admit: i love it 🙂

  45. If you wear it, they call it high fashion, but if a black person were to wear the same thing she would be labeled trashy and ghetto despite the intricacy of the design. I’m not trying to insult you, I just want you to be aware of the double standards.

  47. GIGI – as owner of the nail salon – I AM BLACK (well half indian anyway) i understand what you mean about double standards but its not just what you wear on your nails its how you carry them! and the shape, thickness, length etc…there are double standards yes, but why should only black girls be allowed to experiment with their nails?

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