Nail art has long been a cosmetic enhancement for women since the ancient Egyptian period, but within the last five years, nail art has become increasingly popular in social media and high fashion streaming a plethora of nail design paraphernalia into mainstream society. Nail painting evolved from a way to differentiate women of affluence from women of low social class during the ancient Egyptian period to a beauty enhancement associated with African-American culture during the late 20th century. As part of African-American culture, nail art had a negative connotation in American mainstream society because of derogatory social stereotypes associated with African-American women.
However, the current manifestation of nail painting involves millennial women across all ethnicities adopting nail design techniques and making them a subcultural art form, spring boarding nail painting from a niche group of twenty-something women to one of the most popular beauty enhancements in mainstream society today. This descriptive study attempts to not only demonstrate that those who wear nail art as an art form, rather than a simple cosmetic enhancement, are a subcultural group, but to also qualify the nail art that they wear or design as material culture because of its expressive nature. Even though justifying nail art as an art form is the purpose of this study, the historical and social context of the nail art evolution from its origins to its current manifestation as a subcultural art form will also be discussed, as well as analyzing possible reasons why nail art has become so popular in current mainstream society.
About the presenterSequoia Danielle Barnes
I’m Sequoia (like the tree), and I am currently a graduate assistant in the fashion and apparel studies program at the University of Delaware where I conduct research and archival in the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection. I pursue my scholarship in fashion history and exhibition with interests in subculture, clothing and memory and vintage culture. I am also completing my museum studies certificate at UD as well. I enjoy learning why people wear what they wear, how they wear it, and how these individuals are reflected in society and in turn, themselves.