Ciate: Truly Innovative Nails

Interview with Charlotte Knight, owner of Ciate London, Luxury Nail Company

With a host of celebrity fans, a huge range of exciting, exclusive products and a love of innovative, bold ideas, Ciate is really making a name for itself in the nail, hand and foot industry. 
What drew our attention at Lolo & Galago to Ciate was their constant strive to create products that continuously make new ground in their industry, much as we do in jewellery.

So we wanted to catch up with founder and owner Charlotte Knight to learn more about the brand – how they come up with ideas, what makes them tick and what inspired Charlotte to start her company up. Read on to learn more about her fabulous company.

1. There’s so many nail brands out there but yours has really stood out and won over the press. Is this purely down to the originality of your products or is there something more behind Ciate? 

We focus on injecting Innovation in all of our products, which is one of the reasons editors really pick up on our products – they tend to really pop off the page and create a real buzz of excitement!

2. Innovation and extraordinary are two of the words used to make up your namesake. How do you consistently come up with ideas for new and exciting products when there is so much out there? Do you have a whole team of researchers?

I forever challenge the team to look for inspiration beyond the realms of beauty – they do research in the traditional sense of magazines and trend forecasting sites, but we like to have creative days out to keep pushing the boundaries making our collections as fresh and exciting as we can!

3. Let’s talk Caviar! We normally have it with crackers and butter (our founders are Russian!) but we understand you’ve got a whole product line based around it. Tell us how you came up with this idea?

How very decadent! The caviar manicure came about on a photoshoot where I decided to experiment with micro pearls and the whole crew loved the look so much I knew it had potential to be huge, I never expected it to be quite as huge as it became!

4. Charlotte, it’s always inspiring to hear stories about entrepreneurial women who do so well for themselves – tell us yours!

For me it’s about following your dream and overcoming challenges, no matter how huge they may be! My little girl Gracie keeps me grounded and she has been the inspiration behind a number of our products – she even has a Paint Pot named after her, ‘Amazing Gracie’ a beautiful ballet slipper pink. 

5. What does the future hold for Ciate? Do you want to move into other product lines or are you happy focusing on nails and hand/feet accessories?

2015 is going to be a huge year for the brand, as we are diversifying into colour cosmetics. Keep your eyes peeled!

6. At Lolo & Galago we create timeless designs from current trends. Do you think it’s important to follow particular ‘trends’ in the nail industry? Or do you prefer sticking to a look that works for you?

I think nail offers a great way to dip into trends without a great deal of commitment - so rather than buying a whole new wardrobe for Spring, you can wear a LBD with a hint of that seasons ‘It’ shade on your nails and you’ve made a classic look current and relevant.

 

7. Let’s hear it from the lady in the know… what nail trends do you expect to see in the coming season?

If you’re looking to experiment with nail art, the ‘negative space’ manicure was all over the SS catwalks and is an amazingly simple way to make a real statement with your nail colour. General nail shades trending right now are nudes and soft pinks as they are super flattering and timeless.

8. Let’s wrap up the questions on a high and end with your proudest moment for Ciate.

Being chosen as an Allure influencer and having a photoshoot with the amazing Patrick Demarchelier is something I’ll never forget!

We can't deny how impressed we've been at the level of innovation at Ciate towards their products. It's something we strive for in all our designer jewellery as well, and we truly appreciate originality when it comes to exotic design.