I was kindly invited along to this event by Raheal and wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised.
What Nailtopia is
Nailtopia started in 2019 as the UK's first trade show dedicated only to professional nail technicians. It was created by a nail tech, for nail techs, and this year it came back after a three year break. It ran as a one day show on 20 September at The Steamworks in Sheffield, with brands to shop, educators demoing, and a space built around the craft.
The venue
The Steamworks had a retro, industrial warehouse vibe, the kind of space you see places like Borough Market built on. Totally unexpected, but cool.
It was full of small independent nail companies, which was lovely to see, and you could properly interact with them. There were demos going on all day and talks too. It was, and felt, very much nail focused. Interactive and hands on.
The people
I met some lovely people, spent the day chatting and saw some faces I hadn't seen in years.
The nail industry is very different to the one I was so involved with 20 years ago, and this felt much closer to its old roots. It is also very different to the beauty industry. It's so creative, so alive, and the people are always full of energy. It was great to see it all come together.
