There’s a new nail art influencer in town, and it’s fashion designer Marc Jacobs. If you follow the New Yorker on Instagram, you couldn't have missed his latest obsession with extra-long, crystal-studded acrylic nails. Jacobs has been posting videos of himself indulging in very satisfying, ASMR-esque clickety-clack of his bejewelled talons. He does it on his daily commute, while searching for a bottle of rose lemonade, while vaping, while sketching and essentially while doing anything that makes his not-so-mundane life a bit more marvellous. With a cheeky smile, the designer answers questions about how he types, indulges in some toilet humour about using the bathroom, and shares a picture of a fat pencil his interns made for him so that he could sketch with his new nails. For Pride Month, he is using the hashtag #MalesforNails.
It's not the first time that Jacobs has explored nail art. Until recently he would regularly post pictures of himself, usually on a Monday, with a fresh manicure, cigarette in hand, and the tag #MalePolish. But those were more minimalist. In a video he posted before the MET Gala, for which he got a new set of dramatic, emerald-green acrylics, the 61-year-old fashion icon said this latest maximalist take on the trend was inspired by TikToker Ryan Jose Jimenez, a Florida-based comedian and nail extensions fan. In an Instagram caption, Jacobs said, “I admire his courage in proudly wearing and flaunting long nails—a form of expression typically reserved for women and trans women.”
It used to be that long nails were associated with working-class communities while clean, natural tips were the privilege of the elite. But now extravagant claws are becoming mainstream, courtesy celebrities like Billie Eilish, Rihanna, and Cardi B. In a nod to the trend’s origins in Black and Hispanic subcultures though, Jacobs frequently spotlights the nail artists he works with. Most recently he posted videos of himself practicing his Spanish while chatting with Bronx-based nail artist Yulenny Muñeca, who gave him a faux tortoiseshell set covered in crystals.
In true Jacobs fashion, the prep for his new nails involved sketching, looking at colour samples, and referencing the work of Art Deco-era jeweller Jean Després. Truly a man who loves his manicure.
