Melinda Mann Rivera: HER Nails for the Risk-taker

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Righteous in Style

Melinda Mann Rivera pays attention to detail.

That was evident from the moment we met this week at an eatery in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. As the 28-year-old nail designer strutted her way through lunchtime traffic — tea thermos in tow, BlackBerry in hand — an effortless it-girl-on-the-go swagger exuded from her.

Dressed in a gray capelet over a green plaid blouse accentuating her jade-colored eyes, the Hello Kitty and elegantly hip multi-tiered chains draping her neckline weren’t the only accessories I noticed. It was the stunning pair of “event nails” hanging from Rivera’s fingertips that caught my attention — they fit her outfit to a T, complete with skulls and gold links.

“I’ve been wearing long, extravagant, ridiculous nails since like seventh grade,” she says. “My parents are artists and political activists, but they were very liberal in terms of letting me express myself, so I started doing nails … They were Tiki Punch and airbrushed, and I just got a reputation for that, and I pretty much have had them ever since. Everybody else went to the short French manicure and I just always kept really long nails. I learned to type with them and everything.”

“I was my first customer, so I was my first business card,” Rivera reflects, adding that she changes her nails often.

She even pledged holy matrimony to her artist husband while wearing the fierce accessory — white nails with red roses and rhinestones to match the wedding’s theme.

Erykah Badu was among the first high-profile customer added to Rivera’s growing list of celebrity clientele. The avant-garde songstress called on the HER Nails owner for the “Honey” music video. Rivera also has crafted nail designs for L.A.’s DJ Rashida, local celebrities The Honey Girls, jewelry/shoe designer Melody Ehsani, and Kay Be from Princess of the Posse clothing line.

Rivera said she would love to design nails for Chicago emcee Kid Sister because “everyone thinks of her when they think of nails,” thanks to her “Pro Nails” music video.

Initially irked by the revival of bamboo earrings and colorful nails (After all, that was a part of her daily wardrobe since she was a teenager), Rivera has since found her niche by adding to the trend’s popularity.

“I saw there might be a market for it, so I started combining my art background with the nail thing, and it immediately took off … They did really well because there’s nothing else like that out there,” she says.

It’s no holds barred when it comes to decorative elements for the nails — decks of cards, dice, Louis Vuitton print, chains, rhinestones, Nike symbols — any type of bedazzlement, you name it, she has it.

Simplicity is not her cup of tea, and it’s obvious that Rivera gets her inspiration from any and everywhere.

“I’m willing to go there,” she says of her designs.

“I’m a creative person … A lot of what I do is for fashion shoots and photo shoots, so if they have a clothing line and this is their spring line and there’s a lot of pink and circles, then I’ll try to keep that in mind … I pull from the customers. If it’s an individual customer, I ask them, ‘What kinds of things do you like? What kind of colors do you like?’ Almost everyone says, ‘Just do your thing,’ but I need a little bit of direction.”

Rivera earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA, where she double majored in African-American Studies and World Arts and Cultures. Then the L.A. girl headed east, graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2006 and returned to the West Coast after becoming engaged. Known for her penchant for breaking the mold, Rivera created her own major at the prestigious college: Art Education and Social Justice.

But how do you characterize a woman who’s driven by an ambition to march to the beat of her own drum?

In her own words, Rivera said she considers herself more of a “cultural and artistic theorist.”

One of her interesting philosophies is on the “corporatization” of urban culture, a phenomenon that she says is a “double-edged sword.”

“But I also think that the acknowledgment of it as a real culture is important. I definitely think that right now, compared to 2000, there’s been a resurgence of — for lack of a better word — ghetto-fabulous culture. If I can contribute to the ghetto fabulousness, I’m down,” she laughs. “I’d like to think that [my nails have] some impact on culture, in a sense that they make a statement.”

Another avenue for Rivera to channel her imagination is her career at a nonprofit organization that teaches art to all public school students.

“I love my job. I don’t want to open a salon and sit in it waiting for customers,” Rivera says.

That’s why she’s hosting a nail party — affectionately known as “Manis and Margaritas” — in her garden, where clients can come to her. She’s still taking appointments for the event, held this Saturday at her Venice home.

It takes Rivera about an hour to work her design magic on what she calls “mini canvases” and create a pair of nails uniquely tailored to her client. She can vamp up natural nails, acrylics and event nails — the flashy kind that last only for a few days (They can be re-used with the right kind of glue).

Rivera is open to people of all walks of life rocking her styles but emphasizes that HER Nails are for “risk-takers.”

“Usually my customer is someone who is willing to be seen differently or questioned … for someone who wants attention,” she says. “They’re not for the people who want to fly under the radar. They’re for the people who want that one-of-a-kind dress that they need to get custom-made.

“It makes me think of tattoos a lot,” Rivera continues, “because I think tattoos are such a strong form of personal expression, and the more extravagant they are and the more extravagant the place, I think the stronger the message they send … [The nails are] not lady-like; they’re not for the prim and proper and the conservative type. They’re for people who are willing to push the boundaries in culture.”

HER is Rivera’s brand, and the nails are just one component of the bigger picture, paying homage to all facets of womanhood by highlighting her close-knit network of friends making waves in various aspects of fashion, music and makeup — “all the things for her.”

“I’m at my peak right now. There’s a lot going on right now, a lot of ideas,” she says.

Rivera’s event nails the she created for Melody Ehsani will be available for the first time in mass quantity at www.melodyehsani.com. Those particular styles cost $50 for a set; the custom-made nails cost $75. She is able to ship the designs across country and also has international clients, and can cater to a client’s needs for bridal showers, bachelorette parties, birthdays and special events.

Contact Melinda Mann Rivera if you want you nails did this Saturday (or in the future) via e-mail at Melinda@Her1980.com. Visit her Web site at www.Her1980.com or check her out on Facebook for more information.

(Photos courtesy of Melinda Mann Rivera)

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