Leanne Woodley’s manicures are much more than that. According to the British style magazine Dazed and Confused Magazine, her designs are nothing short of miniature works of art. Based in Brooklyn, her unique take on nails has brought Woodley to coveted collaborations with giants like i-D Magazine, L’Officiel USA, and Vogue Taiwan.
But it took her a while to come to warm up to the idea that doing someone’s nails might be the equivalent to making art. “I’ve really only just come to terms with the idea that I am an artist,” Woodley admitted in an interview with Dazed and Confused. “Growing up, I would draw a lot but didn’t consider myself an artist. Now that I have come to terms with it, each step of the process feels very emotional.”
Like most nail artists, her obsession with nail polish began at a young age. “My dad took me to get my first manicure when I was seven years old,” she recalled. “I was really obsessed with nail polish and long nails after that, even though I was a nail biter.”
But her ultimate thrust into the fashion scene came after meeting nail guru Bernadette Thompson. “After badgering her on set for hours, I went home to research her,” she says. “It hadn’t dawned on me how much influence she had in the things I loved growing up, not to mention how much money I could actually make doing nails.”
Prepare to be inspired yourself.
