APOC Store has cemented itself as one of the most progressive online marketplaces, championing emerging designers through a curated buy of clothes, shoes, accessories, jewellery, and more. Now, almost four years on from the store’s opening (it was founded by Ying Suen and Jules Volleberg in 2020), nail art has been added to the roster.
‘APOC Store has always been a platform to discover and support young talent. Being known as a fashion and art platform, we are always open to extending our offering,’ says Volleberg. ‘In recent years, we saw such a surge in creative nail artists across social media, particularly ones that were approaching nails as a medium for their art as opposed to simply an adornment. A lot of them were already collaborating with artists or larger brands, yet their works weren’t readily available for purchase.’
APOC Store’s collaboration with nail artists
This sparked the idea between the founders to bring press-on nails and nail adornments to the APOC community, collaborating with a selection of artists who are renowned for their visionary work. This spans from ready-to-wear designs to bespoke and intricate pieces – some even using sculptural techniques such as upcycling to reinterpret the French manicure, or 3D-printing to provide fingertips with an otherworldly feel.
‘It was a very organic process,’ continues Volleberg. ‘We started with speaking to nail artists who have previously collaborated with APOC designers and other creatives that we admire. Afterwards, we did extensive research on the different techniques and materials used and being inspired by such a wide range of talents, we also wanted to reflect this in our offering.’
Artists include the likes of digital fashion studio Dinara Garaeva, who has brought its designs into the ‘real world’ through silvery tendrils; Doux Nails, renowned for its textural, chrome finishes; Texto Dallas and RÄTHEL & WOLF, who makes jewellery to frame the tips of fingers and has worked on exclusive pieces specifically for this project. This marks the start of a push towards a bigger beauty offering. ‘We already started exploring different types of adornments, including face jewellery, temporary tattoos as well as extending our hair offering. Stay tuned…’ says Volleberg.
The APOC Nails collection is available now.