We're excited to introduce some of the incredible nail talent enrolled on Nails Mastered: Creativity.
Lunel Laque is a phenomenal nail session stylist and CND™ Grand Master based in Melbourne, Australia. Lunel has had her nails work published in magazines like Elle, and - as a direct result of joining the Mastered network - she also landed a runway event for Hermès Australia, all before the program has even started.
We catch up with Lunel about her inspirations, ambitions and why she decided to enrol on a Mastered program.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your nails career so far.
My nails career started as a progression from creating art on an electronic canvas as a graphic designer to creating art on nails. Everything about nails fascinates me: the anatomy of nails, the chemistry behind different nail products and the elegant proportions of a beautifully sculpted nail. In my role as Creative Director at Ministry Of Nails Magazine in Australia, I’m lucky to have my two career paths cross over.
What’s been the biggest accomplishment in your career so far?
Getting my work published in magazines like Elle and making the cover of a nails magazine with a feature on my session work, as well as getting booked for jobs with clients like Hermès within a few months of concentrating my career focus on session work are a few of the things I’m rather proud of.
Who’s been your biggest inspiration in your nails work?
Without a doubt, Marian Newman. She is the reason why I decided to go into session work. The body of work in her portfolio is amazing and every nail look tells a story. Her textbook has been my nails “bible”, alongside that of Gigi Rouse, who inspired me to seek perfection in every nail I sculpt. Nail art is a fun part of what I do, but both of them taught me that I must first have a perfect base on which to place the art.
I believe in continuing education, and Nails: Mastered offers an opportunity for me to pick the brains of the best in the business. It is an invaluable chance to be able to gain feedback on my work so I can refine my skills, to be encouraged to push my own boundaries when it comes to creative work, to collaborate with the pool of creatives already enrolled on Mastered across various different industry courses.
What are your ambitions? What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?
I want session nail technicians to become an integral part of Australian’s fashion industry like they are overseas. At the moment, nails are not really considered an essential part of the entire look for a shoot or runway show over here. Nails are usually done by the make-up artist on shoots or models are sometimes asked to paint their own nails for shoots; I want to change that. I would like to see the role of a manicurist be considered an essential part of every shoot, like the MUA and hairstylist.
Marian paved the way for the “Session Nail Technician” to be a viable career choice with a lot of hard work and determination and I hope that with her guidance, my perseverance and the contacts I have made and will continue making through Mastered, to do the same in Australia.
On a wider basis, I am inspired by what Anna Lee, a CND Education Ambassador from the UK, has done for the UK nail industry in eliminating prejudice against Asian nail technicians and breaking down the culture barriers. Having come from Singapore originally, I would like to change the misconception about Asian nail technicians in our industry. I want people to know that we’re not all from ‘non-standard salons’, that we can be well educated on nail anatomy and highly trained in various nails techniques. I would like to inspire others like my mentors have inspired me and send a message that this is one industry made up of many, and that discrimination and prejudice against Asian nail technicians has no place in our industry.
Who would be your dream clients?
My dream client would be someone who would give me a creative brief and the budget to go along with it! No, jokes aside, my dream client would be someone who gets that it’s not just “nails,” that nails have an important story to tell too and that nails complete the look.
Now that the program is only a month away, what are you most excited about?
My Mastered journey has been fantastic right from the beginning even before Nails: Mastered has started. It has connected me with fellow creatives through the Mastered directory with whom I have worked with over the past few months, resulting in stunning images to add to my portfolio. I can’t wait to start working on the briefs Nails: Mastered has lined up for us. By the looks of it, it is going to be a sensational ride, and I am going to savour every moment of it.
