Report by Anna-Marie Solowij.

Photography by Tyrone Lebon

“It’s mad back there,” shouted nail artist Sophy Robson over the music at Topshop Unique. She’s come out of the backstage area for fresh air and to offload the morning’s angst. “Three of my team were meant to arrive from New York on Sunday, but they didn’t get into Heathrow till 11 this morning, so I didn’t sleep a wink!”

For someone who hasn’t slept, she looks pretty fresh, with a perfectly applied set of Chanel logo nail decals on multicoloured nail tips. “I found these in Hollywood Star Nails in Peckham and took them along to the Chanel boutique on Old Bond Street for Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out last week.” (Robson did manicures for the guests using Chanel’s sell-out Jade polish decorated with the CC decals.) “It was hilarious,” she laughs, “the perfect mix of high and low-end.” She ticks off her roster for the week on those nails: “Purple/red, like dried blood, at Veryta; perfect nude at Nicole Farhi.” For Unique, Robson did neon pink. “KatieGrand, who’s styling the show, is walking around with this pink Marc Jacobs scarf, and the theme is ‘Slacker surfer chick who’s been to London’, so the neon thing is perfect.” A red dot on each fingernail rocked for Westwood, lace for yesterday’s House of Holland, something experimental for Marios Schwab, and The Flintstones is the theme at Jeremy Scott today.
Robson’s daughter Jade, age 11, is her nail model for ideas in progress. “She’s famous – all the girls know her because she comes backstage with me for weekend shows.” So, will Jade follow in Mum’s footsteps? “She wanted to be a model until she saw The September Issuenow she wants to be Anna Wintour.”

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