Nail artist Ama Quashie on working with Chanel, Phoebe Philo, Alaïa, and more

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 Tipp-Ex 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.

Ama Quashie has mastered the craft of the manicure

Speaking of her work in terms of meticulous craft, Quashie emphasises the transformative role nail art can play in fashion and beauty imagery. ‘Nails can often be forgotten about by people – they might think of hair, make-up and styling first. But nails are also a huge part of telling a story,’ she explains. ‘The way I work is knowing when to exercise restraint and simplicity, or when to go bigger. But always, it’s important to master the foundation: a perfect, really clean nail,’ she continues. ‘It’s the groundwork for every manicure. And from there, everything else is added in line with the creative vision.’

Hailing from south London, Quashie is completely self-taught. (She first discovered a love of making things using intricate and close-up methods after enrolling on a jewellery course at Central Saint Martins). She notes that her processes can be structured or instinctive, depending on her brief and the team she is working with. ‘At Alaïa, it was several calls with creative director Pieter Mulier before arriving at what the nails should look like for his third show at the house. The challenge here was developing ways in which we could make these embellishments as symmetrical and perfect as possible,’ she says. ‘When I work with Simone Rocha, however, it’s often about going with your gut instinct. For S/S 2024, I went through so many different ideas before arriving back at the one I started with: rose transfers on bare nails to mirror the themes of the collection.’

Quashie has also opened two salons, both succinctly named Ama The Salon. The first is located in Brixton, where she grew up alongside her business partner Latoyah Lovatt, with another at the five-star Londoner Hotel in the West End. ‘We focus on working with the natural nail. So I also wanted to work with clean products such as Kure Baazar, a French polish brand that works with the natural renewal cycle of nails,’ she explains. ‘It was important to me that if I was going to open a salon it would be a bespoke experience true to my practice as a session manicurist. The interiors also give clients a peek into my world. I wanted to step away from that clinical feeling many nail salons can have, by using a combination of warm-toned bare plaster walls, marble tables and natural wood flooring.’

Having built her practice for over a decade, 2023 feels like a milestone year for the 38-year-old. Making the Business of Fashion 500, Quashie also worked on Phoebe Philo’s debut lookbook, and Chanel’s first-ever standalone campaign for Le Vernis nail colour alongside photographer Carlijn Jacobs. ‘I don’t think I ever feel like I’ve “made it”,’ she says. ‘Sometimes there are days when I think, “Wow. I’m really enjoying this, the group of people I’m working with, and what I’m making.” It can range from the biggest to the smallest jobs. It really is about collaboration and working together.’

As for next year? ‘I’m going to see what happens, and be adaptable.’ One thing is for certain: Ama Quashie’s work may be on a small scale, but it’s set to make a huge impact in 2024 and beyond.