Fire and Ice for a new generation

The launch of Revlon's new long-lasting nail-colour collection is celebrated in a striking campaign

Opaque nail polish was the first product that brothers Charles and Joseph Revson teamed up with chemist Charles Lachman to create 80 years ago. So it is fitting then that Revlon, as the trio would name their company, has launched a new collection of long-lasting nail polishes as part of its anniversary celebrations.

Continuing a tradition that started in the 1950s with high-profile photographers such as Richard Avedon and Cecil Beaton, Revlon commissioned renowned Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø to shoot the new campaign (left). The starkly beautiful images exemplify Sundsbø's striking style, which is often achieved by using digital manipulation techniques. In this series Sundsbø captures a strictly matte, almost all-white futuristic world that rather than being sterile and soulless exudes sophistication and glamour.

This blank canvas is enlivened by matching flashes of red at fingertips and lips – a concept first created in the late 1930s by Charles Revson and given an ultra-modern update here. The nail colour in question is Red Carpet – a natural choice for the brand that famously brought the world "Revlon Reds" such as Fire and Ice and Cherries in the Snow. This thoroughly modern incarnation of the classic colour is formulated to mimic the long-lasting, high-gloss finish of the hugely popular salon-set shellac at home – and for just a fraction of the price.

ColorStay is now available in 28 shades, £7.99, Revlon, from Boots nationwide