EDITOR’S NOTE: Revisiting the best…. As the web department manager at CW39 Houston, I had the privilege of finding the best people in H-Town to feature on our show, I am sharing those people with my readers on NewsWithAttidue.com. Enjoy!
HOUSTON — Ayanna “Yani” Williams is a Houston woman who is used to turning heads. Not just because she is clearly beautiful, but because her nails, which took her 20 years to grow, are dropping jaws and stopping people in their tracks.
“My nails are 20 to 25 inches long,” she said.
Williams is the founder of the Real Nails Qweenz, a group of women who sport natural, phenomenally long fingernails and toenails. The members are not just here to fascinate, but to educate anyone who has questions. And Williams said there are many about what she “can” and “can’t” do.
“I do not wash dishes at all and I may have a problem putting fitted sheets on the bed, and you don’t want to be behind me in the grocery store because it takes me forever to get my money,” Williams joked.
What inspired her?
“It’s just my passion, I love it. My mother grew her nails — not to this extreme — but she did grow them so she was my big influence,” she said.
So how long does it take to get a manicure?
“The whole process can take up to a week,” Williams said, explaining that maintenance consists of backfills, repairs for cracks and painting her intricate “nail art.”
The attention to detail definitely pays off.
Williams has been capturing attention across the world, including being featured in the 2015 edition of Ripley’s Believe it or Not for her nail length, and was also featured on TLC’s “Strange Addictions” in 2012. She has also had many television appearances in the United States and the United Kingdom.
So what’s next on her agenda?
Williams has her eye on the Guiness Book of World Records.
Not only does this nail passion run in the family, but “great minds think alike” is also a true reflection of the circle she keeps.
Nicole Chester Waters, Lena Cole and Edith Graham are also members of the Real Nails Qweenz. Graham says what may be strange to others, is an art for them.
“It’s no different than when you love tattoos. If you love tattoos, then you are going to see them as art,” Graham said.
Now, there are some people who just don’t understand. “Blocking out the haters” can be a daily ordeal.
“People will just stare and look at me with their nose up,” Williams said. But she is completely #unbothered, as millenials say.
“I am hated so much on social networks because of my nails. People say they are unsanitary, which is so not true,” Williams said. “I’m different, I like being different, you have to dare to be you. They do become a part of you so I just can’t see myself without them.”
We applaud Williams and the rest of her squad for their originality, and say “Do You Boo!”
The Real Nailz Qweenz are available for personal appearances.
Contact Info:
Yani Williams:
Facebook: Yani Williams
Instagram: @RoyalHottness
Edith Graham:
Facebook: Edith Graham
Instagram: RealNails_Gypsy
