Polished off: Nails Inc celebrates its 15th anniversary

Nails Inc is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a brand makeover and innovative new collections

Alexa Chung models St James

Now there’s a nail bar on almost every high street and nail art is normal, but some of us remember a time when getting a manicure wasn’t so easy. Then, when you did find a salon, your colour choices were limited. But while we were caught between preparing to party like it’s 1999 and worrying about the Millennium Bug, the first steps of a beauty revolution were being under way.

Nails Inc was founded in 1999 by Thea Green, when the then-fashion editor of Tatler was inspired by the multitude of manicure options available in America and realised there was a gap in the grooming market over here for faster, more fashionable makeovers.

Initially, Green worked on a product range with a fashion-led approach, focusing on introducing new colours seasonally and, as the market has evolved in recent years, special-effect products have been welcomed into the fold.

More than a decade later and Nails Inc manicure bars have been rolled out in department stores nationwide and the brand has two standalone London locations, as well as stockists worldwide for its myriad shades of polish.

To celebrate 15 years of nailing the trends, Alexa Chung has been introduced as the new face – and hands – of the brand, showcasing a new collaborative collection of fabric-inspired polishes, each emulating different textures including lace, silk and even leather.

Then there’s the new Nailkale collection: nail polish formulated with super-food of the moment, kale. The vitamin-rich properties of kale extract in the polishes apparently help to strengthen and nourish the nail – but luckily don’t stain fingers dark green. The final step in the new direction is a rebrand: it’s out with the old cylindrical bottles in favour of a sleek new concave shape that holds 40 per cent more polish, while the logo has been redesigned to incorporate a cleaner and more stylish typeface.