Welcome to our column “Hey, Quick Question,” where we investigate seemingly random happenings in the fashion and beauty industry. Interesting!
In one recent Instagram direct takeover for Calvin Klein, Kelly machine gun and Pete Davidson sitting next to each other at a nail salon, chatting about various things boys do when they get their nails done. Like so many things happened in 2021, if you combined the words “Machine Gun Kelly”, “Pete Davidson”, “manicure” and “Instagram takeover” together a few years ago, we’d have a lot More follow-up questions. (And, to be honest, there are still some loose ends we’d love to tie in.) But what makes perfect sense? Two very popular celebrities and their love of manicure.
Just a few weeks ago, Machine Gun Kelly (aka Colson Baker) released her own line of nail polish, Un / dn Laqr. The line launched with 10 lacquers with names like “Mary Jane” and “Slippery When Wet”, all presented as gender neutral. MGK’s star rose to new heights in the last year, thanks to his close relationship with Megan Fox, a new album and a burgeoning acting career. And he’s rarely (if ever) spotted without a thorough manicure. So why not capitalize? The polishes quickly sold out after the first drop.
Pete Davidson at the Met Gala in 2021.
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum / Vogue
According to the famous manicurist based in Los Angeles Brittney Boyce, who works with both MGK and Fox (she is responsible for thread interface together create recent headlines), the musician is extremely invested in the appearance of his nails. Boyce said: “He’s always loved nailing and we really got to step up his nail game together. And like any good style partnership, their looks are completely collaborative. “Sometimes, I’ll come up with an idea that I think will be great for him. Other times, he’ll share an idea he has and I’ll work with him to turn it into a reality. reality,” explained Boyce.
In addition to MGK, Boyce has worked with celebrities such as Travis Barker and his son Landon, DJ Kayzo and TikToker Jaden Hosslor. She says she’s seen a change, not just in who’s getting her nails done, but also in how they get them done. “There’s certainly been a noticeable increase in male celebrities doing professional manicures with nail colors and even nail art,” said the manicurist. “Men have had their nails done for a long time, but for photo shoots and other things, a lot of men just want a clean, bare hand. Now, more men are open to showing off. Get creative on their nails, add eye-catching designs or fun colors, and have fun with it.”
Machine gun Kelly for Un/dn Laqr.
Photo: Courtesy of Un / dn Laqr
Celebrity Manicurists Based in New York City Julie Kandalec, who has also worked with both MGK and Davidson, as well as Maluma and Joe Jonas, agrees that men are actually getting more manicures, told Fashionista even “just in the fall and winter, it has grown a lot.” And Los Angeles-based nail artist Tuguldur Erdenejargal (better known as @nailboii) adds, “Especially for straight men, it’s increasing a lot. It’s becoming more normal – people want a manicure.”
There’s no denying that MGK, along with the likes of Harry Styles, A$AP Rocky, Joe Jonas and Jason Momoa has ushered in a new era of men – famous men – manicuring. And if sales say anything, the trend is just up. A representative for the shopping app Klarna told Fashionista that the number of nail kits on the wish list has increased by 251% since October 2020, and that of those who save nail products to their wishlist on the app, 10% are men . So while famous men have made their way into the pageantry for years (see: Pharrell’s Humarace Skin Care Line, David Beckham’s House grooming collection 99), nail care has quickly emerged as an untapped market.
So it’s no surprise that MGK isn’t the only one getting into the nail game. Lil ‘Yachty debuts Crete, a line of polishes, earlier this year (although he is said to have left the brand). And Styles – who is rarely seen without his manicured fingertips – launched his new beauty line, Satisfied, in November. The line launched with six products, including four nail polishes.
According to the brand, “Pleasing’s mission is to deliver pleasurable experiences and products that stimulate the senses and blur boundaries.”
Nail polish by Harry Styles, Pleasing.
Photo: Courtesy of Pleasing
Given the interest of men and their nails, it’s no surprise that legacy brands are paying more attention, too. Jonathan Van Ness to be Essie’s First Non-Female Brand Ambassador in 2019, and Orly plan to follow in the near future.
Tal Pink, Orly’s vice president of business development, told Fashionista: “We’re really working on an exciting limited-edition collection full of rich, bold shades with a masculine character. prominent world,” Tal Pink, Orly’s vice president of business development, told Fashionista. And the numbers don’t lie: “Based on the e-commerce analysis provided, we found a 20% increase in purchases from people identified by the analytics provider as men in 2012. 2021, compared to the same period in 2020 and nearly double from 2021 to 2019,” Pink said. The person adds that the brand has seen “a marked increase” in manicurists interacting with the brand on YouTube who identify as male.
Of course, men’s nail polish is not a new concept. David Bowie has blue fingernails during his Ziggy Stardust era. Dennis Rodman painted his nails in and out of the yard. Even Carson Daly was known to be a black-slayer in his “TRL” days. And notably, the movement has its roots directly in the gay and lesbian community, many of whose members have painted their nails at their own peril throughout history. As recently as 2020, Texas teen kicked out of school for nail art makeup, attracting nationwide attention.
Just a decade ago, there was a controversy surrounding a J.Crew advertising that has the creative director Jenna Lyons Paint her son’s toenails bright pink. “Lucky for me, I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Neon pedicure is more fun,” read the caption. Harmless fun, right? To some, it was seen as gender propaganda — and it caused an uproar from some clients (and Fox News). “This is a dramatic example of how our culture is being encouraged to relinquish all traps of gender identity,” writes psychiatrist Keith Ablow in a (profound issue) column foxnews.com ad criticism.
It begs the question: Why in 2021 does the world seem ready to embrace men with nail polish? First, TikTok’s love of beauty – and Gen Z’s love of TikTok – has fueled the industry across all genders. (In fact, TikTok star Lil Buddy also got into the nail game with a magnetic collab this year too.) But there are bigger factors at play too: “I think with everything that happened last year, it’s changed a lot in terms of beauty,” Kandelec posits, referring to the whole grand translation as well as Black Lives Matter protests. “Everybody’s the same, who cares? I’ll hit the ball, I’ll be me. It doesn’t have to be one. [gendered] thing, it’s art. “
Harry Styles in nail art.
Photo: Kevin Winter / Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Boyce theorizes that nails are simply an extension of an overall trend that fashion has been working on. “Overall, if you look at the red carpet moments of the past two to three years, you can see that fashion and entertainment are using these key moments to show the rules of what it is,” she said. Outdated gender is obsolete. You can see Billy Porter in a gorgeous gown, Harry Styles in heels and Eugene Lee Yang in gorgeous makeup and heels while wearing a suit for the Met Gala. “
Meanwhile, Erdenejargal sees simple nail democratization as another approach. “It’s like a piece of jewelry. Nail care has no gender,” he says. And nail artists are all for the celebrities, helping to lead the way in creating a more open approach to manicures for all genders. “It helps to change the mind of the public. When celebrities start doing something, people start thinking it’s a ‘normal’ and ‘interesting’ thing,” the expert said, adding, “I’m obsessed with Machine Gun Kelly’s nails. One day I really enjoyed doing his nails.”
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