Nail whiz Ama Quashie has done it again. The manicurist is notoriously the progenitor of all great runway manis (you can thank her for the opalescent nails at Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel and McQueen’s rain droplet nails this past fashion month). But it’s her luxuriously supple short velvet nails from Simone Rocha’s spring 2027 show that have leapt from runway to real life – becoming autumn’s latest manicure trend.

Riffing on the show’s sumptuous jewel-toned velvet dresses, Quashie pasted the velveteen fabric onto nails. Although, as Quashie told British backstage, perfectly recreating the look doesn’t make for the longest lasting manicure. “As soon as you wash your hands…” she laughed, miming the plush pieces falling off. Luckily, there’s another way to emulate it: with a little help from cat eye polish and a nail magnet. But rather than creating a diagonal line of shimmer, these nails echo the rich sheen of velvet with a uniform reflective shimmer. As for colour? To chime with Quashie’s Simone Rocha-inspired palette, opt for Caravaggio blues, scarlets and even black. Or, for a more subdued finish that still nods to the collection, try a ballet slipper pink or pale lilac.

How to do velvet nails

Enlisting a professional nail artist is your best bet for achieving a seamless velvet nail finish, as angling the magnet just right can be tricky. To try the look yourself, you’ll need a nail polish that contains magnetic particles, a semi-permanent base coat, a glossy top coat and a magnet to attract and repel the polish.

1. Prepare your nails by filing along the edge. Then, buff the nail bed to remove any shine.
2. Apply a base coat and cure under a UV lamp.
3. Apply a layer of the magnetic polish under the lamp, but before curing, hold a magnet over the top to move the magnetic particles around. Decide on the shape you want by experimenting with different magnet placements. Depending on the distance and the direction the magnet is facing, it will create different shapes, from hearts to stripes and squares.
4. When you’re happy, place your nails under the UV light and cure.
5. Seal with a layer of top coat that, again, is cured under the lamp or – for a more dramatic effect – apply a second coat of magnetic polish before curing.

Below, even more velvet nail inspiration.

Ballet slipper velvet

Blue velvet

Espresso velvet

Scarlet velvet

Forest green velvet

Plum velvet

Gold velvet

Duotone velvet

Multicolour velvet