Resort season is all about getting away; escaping the city to the sound of a revving engine, your hair flying in the wind. Or, let's be real, maybe you get a Zip Car and drive upstate. “I really wanted to create that ‘on the road’ feeling in the Resort collection,” said Sarah Law, the designer of New York-based bag line KARA, over manicures at the brand's showroom last week. Specifically, she wanted to conjure the sights and sensations of the drive from El Paso to Marfa, Texas—a road trip which she completed last spring. “I was really into the textures, and the open quality of Marfa. There are no skyscrapers for miles around, so all you see is land and sky."
Mesh provided the most literal interpretation of that openness. Sarah showed me versions of her now-classic backpacks and Stowaway bags in a double-layered rubberized mesh. Joining them were counterparts made in speckled Argentinean calf hair—a reference to the natural textures of Marfa. And now for the real purpose of our visit: Sarah had invited her friend, manicurist Holly Falcone, to recreate Resort's signature calf hair on her nails. Opting against real calf hair stick-ons (just think about washing your hands with those on...), Holly recreated the textures of KARA's new bags with a simple—and seriously life-like—polish effect. Instructions below!
Shop KARA here | Photos by Patrick Spears
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Sarah had invited her friend, manicurist Holly Falcone, to recreate Resort's signature calf hair on her nails. Instructions below!
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Step 1: Prep.
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Step 2: Holly painted each nail with a white base coat. While that was still wet, she mixed two shades of brown, and a little black polish, together.![]()
Step 3: Using a very thin brush ("you can get these at any beauty or art supply store"), streak the brown into the still-wet white base coat. Then overlay with a clear polish—again, while the base coat is still wet—to create a natural, grainy calf hair effect.
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Holly's KARA costmetics case, and the inspiration.![]()
Nailed it.
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Sarah demos the Double Date bag: the central compartment unzips and expands to about ten times the size.![]()
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pebble leather calfhair backpack in speckled creme
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Mesh provided the most literal interpretation of that openness. Sarah showed me versions of her now-classic backpacks and Stowaway bags in a double-layered rubberized mesh. Joining them were counterparts made in speckled Argentinean calf hair—a reference to the natural textures of Marfa. And now for the real purpose of our visit: Sarah had invited her friend, manicurist Holly Falcone, to recreate Resort's signature calf hair on her nails. Opting against real calf hair stick-ons (just think about washing your hands with those on...), Holly recreated the textures of KARA's new bags with a simple—and seriously life-like—polish effect. Instructions below!
Shop KARA here | Photos by Patrick Spears
Sarah had invited her friend, manicurist Holly Falcone, to recreate Resort's signature calf hair on her nails. Instructions below!
Step 1: Prep.
Step 2: Holly painted each nail with a white base coat. While that was still wet, she mixed two shades of brown, and a little black polish, together.
Step 3: Using a very thin brush ("you can get these at any beauty or art supply store"), streak the brown into the still-wet white base coat. Then overlay with a clear polish—again, while the base coat is still wet—to create a natural, grainy calf hair effect.
Holly's KARA costmetics case, and the inspiration.
Nailed it.
Sarah demos the Double Date bag: the central compartment unzips and expands to about ten times the size.
pebble leather calfhair backpack in speckled creme
