The dimly lit club, the smell of sweat and smoke, the sound of distorted guitars screeching through the air. The 90s punk scene was a mess, and it was beautiful. It was a time when fashion was a middle finger to the mainstream, when safety pins through cheeks and leather jackets with spikes weren’t just a look, they were a statement. And amidst the chaos, the pierced nail emerged – not as a fashion trend, but as a relic of DIY rebellion.
Fast forward to today, and the industrial grunge aesthetic is back, sanitized and Instagrammable. Matte black nails, piercings, chains connecting nails to wrists – it’s all the rage. But do people really understand the roots of this look? Do they know the pain, the sweat, and the tears that went into creating this style?
Matte black is more than just a color – it’s a mood. It’s the antithesis of glossy, bougie, and commercial. It’s the feeling of walking into a dark alley, not knowing what’s coming. Glossy black is for the club, but matte black is for the pit. And achieving that perfect matte finish is no easy feat. It’s a technical nightmare, a constant battle against oil and fingerprints. But when it works, it’s magic.
The process of piercing a nail is a delicate dance between pain and precision. You need to drill through the acrylic extension with a tiny Dremel bit, careful not to hit the nail bed. It’s a risk, a gamble, and sometimes it pays off, and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve had my fair share of war stories – the time the drill bit slipped and shattered the nail, the time the piercing got infected – but that’s the price you pay for art.
The chain connection is more than just a fashion statement – it’s a symbol of restriction, of bondage. It’s a reminder that beauty comes at a price, that you have to be willing to be tied down to look this good. And when you wear it, you feel it – the weight of the chain, the way it restricts your movements, the way it makes you move with purpose.
But what’s lost when a look goes from a basement show to a Vogue cover? The authenticity, the grit, the rebellion. When high fashion brands and influencers adopt this look 30 years late, it’s like they’re trying to package and sell a revolution. It’s a watered-down, commercialized version of something that was once raw and real.
So, if you’re thinking of trying out the industrial grunge look, understand the roots. Understand the pain, the sweat, and the tears that went into creating this style. Don’t just slap some matte black polish on your nails and call it a day. Take the risk, feel the pain, and own it.
