NAIL ARTIST ANGEL MY LINH DISCUSSES WHY FASHION DOES NOT END AT CLOTHING

Photography By Lily McMurray

It would be easy to draw the line with clothing when it comes to fashion, however there are a number of other factors that play an equally significant role. For example, nails, nails have become a huge part of many wardrobes, with the ‘look’ often being incomplete without a set of nails to match. Angel My Linh is one of the most sought-after nail artists in London, “I think nails are such an important factor for a person’s mental wellbeing. You use your hands all day, every day, you look at them constantly throughout the day. Like getting your hair done, it gives you that same feel good, confident feeling”.

Angel was born into nail art with her mother owning her own nail salon, from the ages of 11-16 Angel worked in her cousins’ nail salon which was actually named after her ‘Angel’s Hair and Nails’, nail art has been an inescapable part of her life. “When we weren’t busy with customers my cousin would paint my favourite cartoon characters onto my nails”, it was moments like these that made Angel want to take her craft from a hobby to a profession.

Offering a bespoke service Angel encourages her clients to come to her with new and unconventional design ideas as it challenges her to figure out how to achieve what they desire. “Drastic creative change keeps me stimulated; repetition becomes dull”. Attention to detail is crucial within the fashion industry. Everything that reaches the eye is important. Nail art brings everything together, either subtly or as a statement. “To me, nails are an accessory detrimental to the final outcome of a look, just like jewellery it brings everything together”.

Angel’s skillset has caught the interest of a number of musicians Tiana Major, Keyah Blu and Tiana Blake to name a few, but most notably IAMDDB. In February 2018 Angel was tasked with working with IAMDDB as she attended The Brit Awards “working with IAMDDB was actually at the beginning of my nail art journey and I will always be grateful for that opportunity, her entire look from hair, makeup, clothing was in itself a statement. Doing her nails complimented the way in which I wanted to be branded as a nail artist. She looked amazing at The Brits and being involved in that process was a proud moment for me as one of the youngest nail artists in the game”.

Whilst Angel doesn’t have a definitive creative inspiration, she is heavily inspired by what is around her “my creative inspirations come from my environment, growing up in South East London and 90s culture”. Angel refuses to let her artistic expression end at nail art “I encourage myself to delve into various forms of art such as painting, embroidering, sculptural work and more. By seeking inspiration outside of what’s already been done, that’s how you really excel in your craft”.

What are the plans for Angel’s Nailz?

I have some crazy nail art designs in the works and I’m trying to push nail art to be less about practicality and more about the art. I’d love to collaborate with more photographers, brands, magazines and other creatives.

Ideally at some point in my life I would like to work in the states, as that is where the nail industry began. There’s a higher budget within the industry over there and allows more freedom when it comes to pushing the boundaries of nail art.