Donghai, China produces over 90% of the world’s handmade press-on nails. But behind the glossy photos and “handmade” claims, there are mainly two types of production in this industry after talking to 50 factories and having made endless conversations with each of them:
1. Assembly-Line Press-Ons
Most press-ons come from large factories that hire line workers to produce 50–60 sets per person, per day. Workers are paid less than $2 CAD per set. The goal is speed, not detail. Despite claiming “handcrafted” quality, these nails are effectively mass-produced under poor lighting and high repetition. (Thus the existence of $10 handmade press-on nail on Temu)
2. Boutique Studio Nails
These are made by experienced nail artists—often independent, sometimes part of a small workshop (these amazing nail artists we often see on Instagram arew within this bucket). The quality is beautiful, but they can’t scale. Each set can take hours to complete, making it impossible to serve a growing customer base or meet a consumer brand's scaling demand.
What’s missing in the market is this: a supplier who can produce salon-grade, designer-level press-ons at scale—without sacrificing artistry. Most brands either fake quality or compromise design. That’s the gap we built Grei to fill - and we're lucky to have found our production partner.
Our Manufacturing Edge
Me and my team visited over 50 factories across Donghai to find a solution. Most rejected us outright. Why? Because we refused to compromise on quality—and that didn’t fit their speed-based model. A lot of my nail sets I designed takes 6 hours to produce, and it's just not a viable model for them.
We eventually found the only supplier in the region capable of producing luxury-grade nails at scale. Instead of hiring unskilled labor, they run an intensive 3-month training program. Their staff aren’t line workers—they’re visual artists, often with backgrounds in fine arts and jewelry design.
Each nail set undergoes 50+ quality assurance checkpoints before it leaves the facility.
This is what makes Grei different.
Why Nails, Why This?
I grew up in Shanghai, moved to Toronto for work, and worked briefly in finance. This brand wasn’t born from a whim—it was a long-held obsession that I could never shake.
Maybe it’s my ADHD, maybe it’s the way I fidget constantly with my hands—but I’ve always had a thing for nails. Not just as decoration, but as identity armor. Nails became my way of saying something before I even spoke.
Back in finance, I’d stay up sketching nail designs late into the night—while prepping pitch books for my associates by day. Eventually, I started shipping custom sets to friends from my Toronto apartment. That side hobby became something more. And when I realized the supply chain didn’t yet support the quality I wanted to see, I flew home to China and rebuilt it myself.
What Grei Actually Is
Grei isn’t a nail brand. It’s a concept for wearable identity—built around the belief that nails are not beauty maintenance, but fashion language. Each set is an artifact, meant to be worn like a ring, a necklace, or a limited-edition sneaker drop.
Our nails aren’t made to look “natural.” They’re made to look intentional. Every design is rooted in character study, subculture, and high fashion references—from brutalist architecture to runway silhouettes. We treat nail sets like product collections: seasonal, collectible, and narratively driven.
Every piece is reusable. Each curve is engineered for comfort and control. Our sets aren’t flimsy—they have structure, weight, and symmetry. Designed for expression. Worn with clarity. At its core, Grei is a platform for identity play. For quiet rebellion. For women who aren’t afraid to wear their alter ego on their hands.
Welcome to Grei
This isn’t just another DTC brand. It’s everything I couldn’t find in the market—so I built it. Grei is my answer to five years of waiting for the perfect product to exist.
If you’ve been waiting for nails that feel like jewelry, look like fashion, and wear like armor—welcome.
