Who's Behind OPI's Punny Polish Names?

Known as the “First Lady of Nails” and the woman responsible for such classic polishes as I’m Not Really a Waitress and Tickle My France-y, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann is the Executive VP, Artistic Director, and all-around creative force behind OPI’s legendary and coveted nail lacquers. She does it all—from creating the shades to bestowing on them their unique monikers, that, let’s face it, keep us coming back for more as much as the new colors do. We caught up with Suzi for a Q&A about choosing collections and names, as well as which polish is her all-time favorite.

So, a true story: When I was a little girl, my dream was to be the person who named the lipsticks and nail polishes. Did you have the same childhood dream, or did you discover your passion for beauty another way?
I discovered my passion for beauty when I was ten years old, growing up in Hungary. I told my mother that I wanted to tease her hair; it was a style that was no longer relevant, but I was excited about beauty and experimenting with different looks. Growing up, I had a good sense of style and a love of fashion. Even if I had only three outfits in my closet and my friends had dozens more, I was the one looking at the designers and trends.

What’s the process of deciding on a theme like? How and where do you get your inspirations?
OPI’s seasonal collections are always destination-based. Drawing inspiration from my travels helps determine the next geographic location. With destination collections, women can travel to places they might only ever imagine.

Once you have a theme, how does it inform the color-creating process?
Fashion is a major factor when it comes to creating new lacquers; I take a close look at runway trends, prominent color palettes, and textures. In cities around the world, I draw inspiration from people on the streets, food, music, movies, and more. I note the average woman as my muse; her style will help decide which colors turn into bestsellers.

Over the past few years, nails have become a much more integral and high-profile part of beauty and fashion. Has the new excitement changed at all how you’ve approached creating polish collections? What’s your favorite new development?
Shatter is my favorite new development. Nail art has been a hugely popular and quickly growing trend, however many nail art designs require extensive time and precision. Shatter makes nail art uniquely customizeable and accessable to everyone.

In creating colors today, I find women willing to embrace these new trends and wear them in ways that are both edgy and chic. Even just five years ago, I would waver on introducing certain colors to the consumer, but now, nothing is taboo.