TABLE OF CONTENT
When 3D printing meets the alter ego
Credits
Fusion of fashion and nature
LOOK 1. Soft but dangerous beauty
LOOK 2. Fierce predator
LOOK 3. Living armor from the sea
A collective vision
The studio of alter egos
When 3D printing meets the alter ego
We believe nails are beyond accessories.
In our latest Shanghai editorial shoot, we explored the new frontier of 3D-printed nails, merging them with 3D-printed costumes and futuristic identity concepts. This project featured wearable art installations, seamlessly blending fashion, technology, and organic inspirations.
Each design extended the wearer’s identity, turning the human body into a medium of transformation.
Credits
Photography: Changyu (鲳鱼)
Production: Theo
Makeup: Pass
Hair: XIAOYI (小易)
Model: 废废 (IDOL MODELS)
Fashion Design: CHEN SHAOKAI, ZHANG YANING @ KAI NINGNING
Nail Design: Syvia @NAILTEREGO
Lighting: JOJO, FANG SU
Studio: DARK STUDIO
Fusion of fashion and nature
Once we get to know the costume was drawing from the intricate beauty of insects, Syvia was deeply moved by their vitality.
We are inspired to craft nail art that echoed nature’s instinct to adapt.
Each look embodied a different surface of biological evolution, using 3D acrylic flowers, sculptural nails, and exaggerated silhouettes to explore the delicate tension between the human and the artificial.
Soft but dangerous beauty
Inspired by the larvae of the stinging moth, this look redefined vulnerability as power.
The 3D-printed nail art featured thorn-like details, blending softness and danger. Beauty that protects itself.
Created as a designer-exclusive custom nail piece, this look translated natural defense systems into a fashion language of strength, balancing elegance with edge.
Fierce predator
In this look, body transformed into weapons of grace. Through high-precision resin printing, each edge was intentional.
The nail design captured the untamed energy of organic forms, merging editorial nail art with the raw power of nature.
Living armor from the sea
The final look dove into the ocean.
Nails became living armor, with 3D shell-like shaped and shallow-inspired color. Gradient hues reflected the waving glow, where survival is an art of adaptation.
A collective vision
By merging 3D-printed nails with avant-garde fashion, the human form evolved into a hybrid, future-ready organism; neither natural nor artificial, but both.
This project was a cross-disciplinary collaboration made possible by an extraordinary artist team.
Concept and production by Theo, photography by Changyu (鯧魚), makeup by Pass, hair by XIAOYI (小易), and nail by Syvia of NAILTER EGO team — in collaboration with emerging fashion designers Kai and Ning from KAI NINGNING.
Their innovative approach expanded what 3D printing in fashion could mean, not just fabrication, but identity construction.
The studio of alter egos
Projects like this are made possible through NAILTER EGO Privé, our buyer and stylist hub dedicated to cross-disciplinary collaborations.
- Pre-Made, Ready-to-Wear 3D Nail Art
- Custom Orders Available
- Instant application & removal – Practical for productions requiring rapid styling changes.
Explore more at Privé, Nail Customization for Stylists
Behind the scenes
Every frame of this project was born from hands-on experimentation, hours of modeling, printing, sanding, and sculpting before each form came alive on set.
From the gentle precision of attaching resin nails to the unpredictable textures of 3D prints, our studio became both a lab and a stage, a place where identity was engineered, not just styled.
What emerged was more than an image, it was the pulse of collaboration, the dialogue between human emotion and digital fabrication.