Let’s talk nails! Jacobs never fails to serve up his signature dose of extravagance, and this time was no exception. Just a few months ago at the Met Gala, he made his first appearance with his new obsession — overly dramatic, impossibly long manicure. His choice was emerald-encrusted nails with green rhinestones. Since then he doesn’t seem to be planning on going back to the regular size manicure — and why would he? He looks shinier than ever, more fabulous than ever! Being that fabulous is not an easy job too — just one manicure session lasts around eight hours!
Recently Jacobs showcased a huge installation capturing his love for nails at the Dover Street Market in New York. And I only have one word — iconic!
When asked in a Vogue interview whether we’ll see the nails in his next show, Jacobs explains that although a lot of people are expecting this, the nails are actually nothing but a statement of self-expression. He’s simply enjoying his long nails.
I find his creative boldness truly fascinating. It’s quite rare nowadays for designers to simply create for the sake of individuality and self-expression, instead of only producing for the consumer gaze. As Jacobs himself stated, what he would like for his audience after a show is not for them to say ‘That dress was so beautiful’, but instead — ‘Wow, I really felt something in that seven or eight minutes’.
Fortunately, we do have many examples of designers genuinely dedicated to their vision, prioritizing emotional impact over aesthetic beauty. One of them with no doubt is Alessandro Michele.
When I first started studying fashion design, I remember finding one of Michele’s interviews back when he was still creative director of Gucci. In the interview, Michele explains what beauty means to him. He shares stories from his childhood, recalling how he would dress up as Prince Charming during Carnival in Italy. He would always want to wear his Prince Charming hat even after the Carnival ended, but instead — the hat would go locked in a box — until next year. Little Michele would always wonder ‘Why aren’t you allowed to dress as Prince Charming outside the Carnival as well?’ And then he goes on explaining the importance of imperfections for him, his vision and work. That interview made me fall in love with fashion.
Another great example of genuine creativity, and I dare say, sheer genius, was evident during Rick Owens’ SS25 ‘White satin army of love’. Rick’s models have always been ones that wouldn’t really fit anywhere else, describing them himself as ‘weirdos and freaks’. This time was no different, he included 200 models and students, as well as some of Rick’s friends. Inspired by the “lost Hollywood of pre-code black and white Biblical epics”, he really created something extraordinary and remarkable.
The fashion industry boasts countless talented designers, yet it remains saturated with consumerism and false beauty standards. Given the pervasive influence of celebrity culture, it is not a surprising fact that this is hugely perpetuated by the phenomenon called the Kardashians. Appearing to exist solely for the camera’s gaze, posing with vacant, lifeless faces for Vogue, trying to represent an extremely superficial version of the fashion world they barely belong to — their dreadful impact on the industry have always been emblematic of this phenomenon. Of course, the issue extends beyond individual celebrities like them.
When addressing this issue, a quote of one of the greatest icons of popular culture rings loud: “All of us invent ourselves. Some of us just have more imagination than others.” – Cher.
It is crucial to encourage critical media consumption, and restore and give as much spotlight as possible to genuine authenticity. By doing so, we can shift the industry’s focus back to its core values—self-expression and artistic integrity.
Written by Nia Topalova a GLITCH Magazine Contributor
