Sharmadean Reid, 25, founded Wah Nails in Dalston — the city’s hotbed of young talent — last summer, simply because she “knew it was going to be massive”. She was right. Since opening, Wah has decorated the nails of hundreds of creative types, fashionistas, celebrities and teenagers spending their weekly pocket money. And, following a whoppingly successful run as a pop-up shop in Topshop during London fashion week, Wah Nails has secured a permanent spot in the Oxford Street store, replacing Nails Inc.
“Topshop is the best possible outlet,” says Reid, her girly, high-pitched voice giving way to an affable Midlands lilt. “With the store in New York and the one in Knightsbridge, it’s massive. What other high-street store has a catwalk show that is just as cool as anything else?”
The Topshop contract is a testament to the impact of Wah Nails, as well as the plucky determination of Reid. Not bad for a young woman who set aside a successful career in styling and consultancy to build a business on a hunch. She has, however, since then, planned her path with careful precision. “I said to myself last year, I’m going to open a nail shop and get it into Topshop.” And that she has.
We meet at Wah Nails, in Dalston, which has the cool, laid-back charm of an art gallery on the Lower East Side — a little rough around the edges, but a welcome relief from the sterile milieu of standard beauty salons. I flip through the nail menu and am at a loss; there are hundreds of designs, each as mesmerising and joyous as the last. Reid glances down at my outfit. “Let’s do turquoise, brown, silver and gold gems.” It matches my clothes — I’m sold.
Is everybody as clueless as I am in choosing a design, I wonder. “In Topshop, everyone seems to be going for leopard print,” says Reid. “But they’ll also play with textures, mixing matt with gloss, in a fashiony way.”
Surprisingly, on her own hands, nail art is conspicuously absent. “I’m always having to test a lot of stuff. But generally, now that I have everything at my disposal, I have quite plain nails.”
Her fingernails may be a blank canvas but Reid’s love of fashion is in full view: she’s wearing chunky black ankle boots and is somehow pulling off a scrunchie. Her acute knowledge of style is integral to Wah’s success. Having spent her childhood reading fashion magazines from cover to cover, she knows how to instantly spot a trend and transform it into nail art before the rival nail salons can say “mani”. “I just think about what makes a cool motif. We came up with the Aztec nail because at the time everyone was wearing those American Apparel Aztec leggings. Nobody wears them any more, but they still wear the nails.”
The phone rings. It’s a girl inquiring about an apprenticeship at Wah. “I’ve been getting that a lot lately, but that was always part of the plan,” Reid reveals. “I’ve never been obsessed with race issues, but I always think about the jobs that black girls get pushed into. I was tired of paying for bad service, so set up my own nail shop. That mentality is lacking among young black girls.”
This community aspect is what makes Wah different. “We host parties here every weekend, but we don’t close the salon, so everyone can mix. And we exhibit female artists, which provides a platform for young, creative women.” As a result, she’s one of the best-connected girls in east London, but you won’t catch her name-dropping. “I turned down a celebrity the other day to do my friend’s nails, because she was going out. It’s not about exclusivity with me. I want everyone to have the nails and enjoy them.”
And enjoy them I do — I can’t resist showing off my bejewelled fingertips at every opportunity. As for Reid, it’s on to the next venture. “I can’t tell you what it is yet, but it’s not related to nails.” One thing’s for sure, with Reid at the helm, we’ll all want to know about it.
• Wah Nails at Topshop: 020 7927 7844
