Sunglass nails: the translucent manicure emerging from New York Fashion Week

This beauty detail accompanied DVF’s return to the official New York Fashion Week calendar, showcasing Henry Zankov’s debut collection as artistic director. The house featured fluid silhouettes, playful transparency, and bold colors that extended to the hands.

Backstage, Miss Pop showcased variations in golden chestnut brown, rose-brown, and matcha green. Allure and Marie Claire described the look as intentionally light, where the nail’s base remains visible beneath the color rather than being completely opaque.

The effect can be achieved without exactly replicating the runway products. A jelly or semi-transparent polish applied in thin layers is sufficient to create the hue, while a very glossy top coat adds the depth reminiscent of tinted glass.

This trend fits into a broader movement observed this week in New York. InStyle noted the return of transparent and iridescent finishes, both on nails and in makeup, amidst a beauty wardrobe heavily inspired by the 1970s and 1980s.

The colors seen at DVF do not constitute a strict code to follow. The appeal of the look lies primarily in its transparency, allowing for warm browns, subtle pinks, or bolder greens depending on the polish already present in one’s collection.

To maintain that colored glass effect, Miss Pop used very little product. One coat was applied for the golden brown, and two light coats for the green, followed by the glossy finish.