Brought on by the recession as a cheap way to indulge in fashion trends, our nation's obsession with nail art (painting patterns or adding other adornments to one's nails) may have hit its high point. Awards show red carpets feature cameras, called mani-cams, specifically designed to show off tricked-out nails. And besides painting and bejeweling, women have stranded jewelry through their nails, glued on pointy, stiletto-shape acrylics, and dabbled with paints that give such textural effects such as felt and matte.
But this manicure madness comes after nearly 100 of beauty evolution. What started as a risque fashion statement has become a world of salons on every corner and more color options than you can count. Suzanne Shapiro's new book, Nails: The Story of the Modern Manicure, delves into the history of the manicure.
Best arrive with a fresh coat of paint when Shaprio visits to lecture on the topic at Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central Avenue, on Wednesday, September 10. An optional buffet will be held in the museum's great hall at 4 p.m. Shapiro will lecture in Whiteman Hall at 5 and sign her book in the lobby at 6. While the lecture and book signing are free, tickets for the buffet are $28 for Arizona Costume Institute members and $33 for non-members via www.arizonacostumeinstitute.com. Visit www.phxart.org or call 602-257-1880 for more information.
Wed., Sept. 10, 5 p.m., 2014
