Summer/Fall 2012 Download PDF - The Studio Museum in Harlem

Summer/Fall 2012 68Nailing Art“The Approachable Canvas”by Sophia BruneauGinger + LizPhoto: Jerome ShawWe don’t often think of our nailsas canvases for expression, butrecently nail art has become thelatest fad, with an abundance ofoptions in color, texture, length andeven shape. Ginger Johnson andLiz Pickett, the founders of Ginger+ Liz Colour Collection, are twoof the many innovators in the nailindustry, and are particularly wellknown for their vegan-friendly naillacquers. Recently I had a chance tochat with Ginger and Liz about theirexperience in the industry, wherethey draw creative inspiration fromand the historical background ofnail art and design.Sophia Bruneau: What made youdecide to go into the nail industry?Ginger Johnson and Liz Pickett:We are both admittedly productjunkies (from skin care to hair careto fragrance), but our friendship fastbecame an unbreakable bond whenwe discovered that we both have anirreparable addiction to nail lacquer.In years past, we casually talked aboutlaunching a product line together,but we wanted it to be a product thatwould bring a new vibe to the beautyindustry. One day back in January2009, we had that “aha!” momentwhile digging through a bin of polishes,looking for the perfect purple.It was then that we realized that ourfavorite beauty category, nail polish,could use some new zeal. Nine monthslater, we had our first ten shades readyfor preview!SB: How do two young women ofcolor start their own LLC? Did youencounter challenges because ofyour race and gender?G+L: Our challenges have had moreto do with ageism and sexism. The nailindustry is dominated by men behindthe scenes, the manufacturers in particular.As young women, we have hadchallenges with getting manufacturersand suppliers on the same forwardthinkingpage.SB: What is your creative process forcoming up with nail designs and colors?Where do you find inspiration?G+L: We are different from otherbrands because we don’t simply usepublished trending reports to createnew shades or fashion-inspired nail artdesigns. We rely on real-time lifestyletrends and behaviors and are heavilyinfluenced by art, fashion, travel andentertainment. Sometimes, we createa shade to mirror the color of a stoneor tropical flowers we see and photo-