Wicked West Nails: Couture at the Cuticle

Alia Mathias, the founder of Wicked West Nails, is a nail artist and community builder based in Salt Lake City. Her studio stands apart from traditional salons as a space where nail art becomes a form of both personal and collaborative expression.

“Creating that safe space for people to explore who they are and feel confident is the goal.”

Mathias grew up in Wichita, Kansas, in a home where art was woven into everyday life. “My mom dabbled in the arts. She wrote poetry, painted murals and worked with charcoal,” she says. “She was also an elementary school teacher, so I was raised in an environment where art was encouraged as a form of communication.” Spending time in tattoo shops and learning pinstriping at the age of 14, Mathias explored mediums most people don’t encounter every day, including large-scale mural painting and tattooing. She always saw body adornment as a way to culturally and artistically express yourself.

“I think people often miss how layered nail art can be,” she explains. “Traditionally, people think of nails as just painted red or matte versus shiny. But nails can be tiny, complex canvases of expression. You have ten little palettes to work with, and so many materials are available now.” Since nails intersect deeply with identity, they can often be one of the first places people explore their self-expressions. “Creating that safe space for people to explore who they are and feel confident is the goal,” Mathias says.

“I love sculpting nails and exploring Korean and Japanese nail trends.”

To Mathias, nails are an important part of fashion and identity. “The nail industry was shaped heavily by the Black community in the ‘80s and ‘90s — stiletto nails, gaudy styles. It’s about adornment and personal history,” Mathias says. “It’s also about play [and] connecting with your inner child. Everyone remembers playing with nail polish.” It can be as simple as a bold color or as complex as sculptured avant garde shapes, to give someone that extra oomph.

Client collaboration is central to her process. “It’s my favorite part of the job,” Mathias says. “I love giving people an opportunity to express themselves creatively.” Clients can bring in anything from Pinterest boards and color palettes to photos of furniture or fine art they love as inspiration for Mathias to create nail sets.

Mathias particularly enjoys working with color. “I’m a nerd about the color wheel,” she says. “I often start with building the perfect palette and then add texture and shape. I love sculpting nails and exploring Korean and Japanese nail trends — jelly colors, milky bases, holographic glitter, 3D elements. It’s very layered and intentional.” Her aesthetic is shaped by painters like Henri Matisse and David Hockney. “I love their bold colors and textures. I also pull from fashion runway shows, especially the more creative ones,” she says. Mathias often looks for fashion outside the norm, pushing the boundaries of what is possible to do on the nail bed.

“Nails can be tiny, complex canvases of expression.”

Wicked West Nails also hosts pop-ups, permanent jewelry events, markets and even book clubs. “Most of us [nail techs] have family out of town, so our clients become part of our extended community,” she says. Part of this closeness is born out of the time and effort these particular sets require; appointments often last over two hours because of the art involved.

Mathias hopes to do more community-driven work. “I want to step back from doing nails every day to focus on events and care spaces,” she says. Keep an eye out for the salon’s two-year anniversary pop-up in September. Visit wickedwestnails.com to read more about each nail tech, view their work and book directly.

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Heavenly High Tops and Haute Couture at FICE Gallery
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