Fashion Week: The Nails for Spring 2012
By Ashley Kalinkse, CNBC.com
Fashion Nails a New Look
Forget about the bag, the shoes, and the lip gloss. At the moment, the most fashion-forward accessory is your nails.
The action going on inside the tents at Lincoln Center during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week's spring/summer 2012 shows proved that nail polish is making its mark on the fashion scene.
Major highlights from the shows included the reemergence of nail color as more nail artists and designers opted for bright colors and metallic colors, rather than the nude nail looks that have dominated the runways in recent seasons.
At Wes Gordon and Tracy Reese, there were bright corals. Gold tones were shimmering at Norman Ambrose, while at Jen Kao, there were ombre, or graduated tones, on the models' nails.
Even for designers who stuck with a more neutral look, it was a "new nude" with peachy undertones or with layered iridescence, as was seen at the Rachel Zoe, Jill Stuart, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and BCBG shows.
There's also been a movement to longer and more slender almond-shaped nails, as seen at the Betsy Johnson and Joy Cioci fashion shows.
Never before has color, pattern, and texture played such an important role in nail fashion. Click ahead to see the nail designs at the latest New York Fashion Week.
More from CNBC:
Forget the Lipstick Indicator, It's All About Nails
Fashion Week: The Nails for Spring
In Photos: NYC Fashion Week
