When it comes to nail trends, influences are found everywhere, from the seasons to holidays to pop culture, even fashion. That’s right, many styles dictated by fashion designers trickle down to the beauty industry, including nails. While it may seem like a stretch to your clients, nail artists know that some of the coolest winter nail trends come from the season’s top fashion looks. Here, we’ll show you five of the best trends from Fall/Winter 2022/23 New York Fashion Week that translate perfectly to nails.
courtesy of iStock
1 Sheer
One of the top trends we saw at Fall/Winter 2022 New York Fashion Week was sheer material. Designers including Fendi, Tory Burch and Jason Wu draped their models in completely see-through garments. While this may look amazing on the runways, it’s not exactly wearable in regular life. But to make it realistic, you can adopt the trend by layering to keep things modest, think bralettes and bodysuits.
courtesy of Angello Stheven @sthinsbeauty
When it comes to nail trends, sheers are a no-brainer, and they’re perfect for clients who want a chic yet simple look. Coat healthy nails in a sheer pink that will allow the natural white free edge to peek through for a take on the enduring “Baby Boomer French.” Or use the sheer shade as a base for embedding effects into the nail like gold leaf, pearlescent shells or fine glitter.
Try:
Mia Secret Pink Acrylic Powder
Bio Builder Gel in Frosted Pink
Gelux in Naked
courtesy of iStock
2 Leather
Leather jackets have been a fall/winter staple on fashion runways for decades, and this year is no different. However, this season we’re also seeing leather skirts, from mini to midi, as well as black leather accessories, like driving gloves, rich leather handbags and boots, from high to low to scrunched to moto. 
courtesy of Tom Bachik
Leather marks a fun trend for nail designs, too! Simply coat the nail in inky black and finish with matte top coat to give it a suede-like finish. Or after applying a high-shine top coat, lightly buff it for a semi-shine effect that mimics the look of leather. While black is the ultimate leather look, you can also play with shades of browns and tans. Even get creative and add some texture with crackle effects or hand-painting to add more visual interest.
Try:
Try Mia Secret Matte Top Coat
Gelux Gel Polish in Black
courtesy of ShopBop; iStock; Jonathan Simkhai
3 Fringe
Tassels and fringe are bordering practically every jacket, sleeve and hemline this season. And we’re not just talking leather fringe, thanks to the western trend. Oh no, we're talking about sparkle and sequins, as well. We saw some amazing metallic skirts over the holidays that are perfect for Valentine’s Day or a girls’ night out.
courtesy of Mirian Quichimbo @mirianquichimbo; Faby's Nails
Want the nails to match? This is where your steady hand and line work comes into play. Paint wavy lines down the nail in neutral tones or add flair with metallic strokes. You could even use spider gel to create an easy tasseled look across the free edge of the nail. Pair with some crystals and gems to make this look extra glam.
Try:
Mia Secret Spider Gel or Foil Gel
Gel Paint
Nail Art Brushes
courtesy of iStock; Saint Laurent
4 Over-the-Top Florals
We know what you’re thinking, florals? Not again! But this is not your run-of-the-mill springtime flower print. This winter, designers including Bottega Veneta and Giambattista Valli used over-the-top floral appliques on their wares. Think huge, show-stopping 3-D blooms.
courtesy of Tom Bachik
Need we say more for nail looks? We’re practically drooling thinking of all the groundbreaking 3-D floral designs that this fashion trend can inspire. Celebrity nail artist Tom Bachik has already cashed in on this style with two nail designs, one with white-on-white, 3-D acrylic floral coating the entire nail for Camila Cabello for the Met Gala, as well as a simpler French twist with a few strategically placed 3-D acrylic flowers for Jennifer Lopez.
Pull out all of your acrylics in every fall and winter shade and start sculpting. Time Saving Tip! Build them in your off time so you have them on hand to adhere to clients’ nails when they come in for their appointment. Pick up one (or more!) of the Mia Secret acrylic powder collections or just stick with liquid monomer and white acrylic powder. If you struggle with your floral sculpting, try playing around with Polymia Builder Gel. You can mold without it curing until you’re happy with the shape, then cure it under an LED light.
courtesy of Anthropology; Hellessy Magalie; iStock
5 Shades of Saffron
Designers are not quite finished with bold brights trend from spring and summer 2022, and this winter, the shade of choice is saffron. This red/orange hue is ideal for a wintry punch of color that will carry you through to Valentine’s Day. Look for a bold pair of slacks or a skirt to adopt this fashion trend, or even go tone on tone for a statement-making head to toe look.
courtesy of Kelly Head @valkyrie.nails
For nails, of course you could just coat them in a bold saffron shade, but why not have more fun with it? Use this red/orange shade instead of a traditional blue-red as an accent and for art. The saffron tone pairs perfectly with traditional fall and winter neutral shades like tan, sage and ochre. Or play with finishes by creating a tone-on-tone French with a high-shine base topped with a matte free edge.
Try:
Mia Secret Gelux in Lily
Gel Paint in Neon Orange Red
Whether your clients are looking for something simple or a little extra, there is a winter nail trend that will work for them. If you try out one of these looks, be sure to share it with us by tagging @miasecret!