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UK actress Tilda Swinton gets nails done by S'porean nail artist for Chanel show in Raffles Hotel
She nailed it.
November 07, 2025, 01:53 PM
A nail technician in Singapore jumped around the room when she got possibly the biggest news of her career: She was going to do nails for Tilda Swinton.
The British actress was attending a star-studded Chanel fashion show in Raffles Hotel on Nov. 4, and she needed a fresh manicure.
Fiona, the 22-year-old owner of FNF Nail Artistry in City Plaza, was recommended for the job by a few of her clients who were part of the Chanel team in Singapore.
Speaking to Mothership, Fiona said the team contacted her around early October, but she only received the final confirmation that she would be doing Swinton's nails five days before the show.
A huge fan of Swinton since the "Narnia" movies, Fiona was over the moon.
"I was also really nervous since this was my first time working with such a big-name celebrity," she said.
The big day
On the morning of Nov. 4, Fiona visited Swinton's villa in Sentosa with all her equipment in a luggage.
As she was working on Swinton's nails, the actress mentioned that her nails were quite brittle and tended to break easily.
Fiona recommended her signature structured overlay manicure, which creates a strengthening layer that can prevent breaking and chipping for up to two months.
When it was done, Swinton showed her nails to her team and said she'd never tried anything like it before.
She was stunned to learn how strong and durable the effect would be.
"Oh my, that’s amazing — thank you for the nails, I love them so much!" Swinton exclaimed.
She thanked Fiona again for the "truly wonderful" nails while changing outfits for the show.
"It was such a surreal moment for me," Fiona told Mothership.
She was still processing what had happened when she recounted the experience on Instagram on Nov. 5.
She thanked the Chanel team for "trusting [her] with this unforgettable opportunity" that she would always cherish.
"It was truly one of the most surreal and meaningful days of my career so far," she wrote.
Self-taught professional
At just 15 years old, Fiona started a home-based nail business, eager to practise on anyone who would let her touch their hands.
As there were few nail classes available when she first started out, she learnt the techniques through YouTube videos and online tutorials.
"I learnt through a lot of trial and error, driven by my passion and determination to keep improving every day," she said.
Seven years later, she is now a seasoned professional running FNF Nail Artistry with her sister, Fels, and doing nails for an international star.
Here's Swinton sporting her freshly done nails at the Chanel Cruise 2025/26 show at Raffles Hotel:
Photo from Chanel
Top images from Fiona
