5 Spring 2025 Nail Trends That Dominated New York Fashion Week
You'll see these high-shine manicures everywhere.
I spent the majority of New York Fashion Week running from backstage to backstage, all in an effort to get an up-close glimpse at the best beauty from the Spring 2025 season. What I learned: We’re ushering in a maximalist era across hair and makeup, but the biggest NYFW nail trends are subdued.
Similar to fall 2024 nail trends, the spring and summer seasons ahead will prioritize solid colors, textured finishes, and easy-to-DIY nail art. The best nail pros in the business—Gina Edwards, Jin Soon Choi, and Miss Pop, to name a few—have proved that a less-is-more mentality doesn’t have to be boring.
For instance, the nails at PatBo merged the mannequin manicure trend with metallic accents, adding a hint of excitement to an otherwise nude nail. Jet black polish, which is a classic color, turned into ombré French tips at Naeem Kahn and star-shaped cutouts at Christian Cowan. Metallics, once siloed to the silver chromes of the glazed donut trend, have broadened to rose gold shimmers and chromes—look to Monse and Theophilio for proof.
While there were more than 60 shows at New York Fashion Week, five spring nail trends are poised to dominate the coming months. Read ahead to get a full breakdown and hear from the pros themselves.
Mannequin Manicures
Marked by a skin-colored polish, a high shine finish, and neatly cut cuticles, the mannequin manicure is taking off. Not only has it become a recent favorite for Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez, but it was also the standard at Phillip Lim, PatBo, Pamella Roland, Jason Wu, and Brandon Maxwell.
“It’s a clean and natural look that’s a nice complement to the clothing without taking away from it,” says owner and CEO of Nailing Hollywood Agency Mazz Hanna, who used Dazzle Dry backstage at Phillip Lim. “Nude nails have been having a moment for most of the year and they’re not going away. Sheer nudes were the vibe forever, but now there are so many color ranges for the more opaque nude that are really pretty.”
Nail Stickers
Fun adhesive add-ons don’t have to be kitschy like Kylie Jenner’s backyard bug manicure or Hailey Bieber’s farmers market mani. This season, designers gave nail stickers an elevated twist. Sandy Liang partnered with Sally Hansen and popped rhinestone stickers atop nude polish. Juli Kandelac, the lead nail artist for Christian Cowan, “brought stars to life” by placing a black sticker on a pale pink polish. Miss Pop created floral French tips using puffy floral adhesives at Alice and Olivia.
Stay In The Know
Select the newsletters you’d like to receive. Then, add your email to sign up.
Contrary to nail stickers’ stereotypically childish aesthetic, all of these looks were simple and sophisticated. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to DIY.
Metallic Shades
The use of metallic polish was two fold this season. Some shows, like Meruert Tolegen, Kim Shui, and Theophilio, used iridescent manicures to nod to their collection. “There were pearl accents on clothes and the makeup, so I wanted to the nail look into the overall story,” lead Meruert Tolegen nail artist Naomi Yasuda said. Others, including Monse (which was keyed by Choi), leveraged sparkly tones to add a pop against neutral-toned clothes.
French Inspiration
While the Fall 2024 season was flooded with classic French manicures with neon twists, the Spring 2025 roster puts a simple spin on the timeless design. Take Edwards's “rose quartz” twist at Prabal Gurung, for example. “The nail look created for Prabal was based on the optimism for the future. The smokey quartz nail is a symbol of spreading light and hope,” she said. The white tip was diffused and free-flowing instead of a harsh contrast of color.
Miss Pop’s take at Alice and Olivia had a similar through line—but with a lace-like twist and short almond shape. Naeem Khan further proved that darker hues, with models’ nails painted in a black ombré French-esque design, can still feel sophisticated.
Hints of Black
Quite the anti-season nail trend, jet black polish appears to be shedding its winter-only stigma. Dark-as-night washes of color appeared at Susan Alexandra and Christian Cowan, while twists on the shade—like a gunmetal hue and cheetah stripes—popped at Luar.
Samantha Holender is the Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.
-
Taylor Swift and Corset Tops Are the Real Love Story
She's worn some form of lingerie-inspired apparel all season.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Ella Purnell Is Killer As a Vengeful Murderer in 'Sweetpea'—Here's What to Know About the Cast of the Must-Watch Series
You're going to want to binge the new Starz dark comedy.
By Sadie Bell Published
-
Where Did All the Size-Inclusive Fashion Go?
Spring 2025's runways glorified thinness to a troubling degree.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
9 Chic Fall Nail Trends to Try Right Now, According to Celebrity Nail Artists
Skin-colored polish is just one of the biggest fall manicure trends.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
The Moody Red Nail Trend Is an Unexpected Summer Hit
Zendaya and Selena Gomez have already endorsed the off-season shade.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
The Bubble Bath Nail Trend Is Actually Royal Family-Approved
Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, and Sydney Sweeney are on board with the pink-white color combo, too.
By Samantha Holender Last updated
-
Summer’s Butter Yellow Nail Polish Trend Looks Good Enough to Eat
Her butter yellow manicure looks good enough to eat.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
Summer's Biggest Nail Trends All Elevate the French Manicure
Buckle up.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
Kim Kardashian Totally Nailed the Tumblr-Era Milky Manicure Trend
See what I did there?
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Gucci Makes Nail Art Great Again with This Insanely Cool Manicure
Hellooo, "dipped ink."
By Bridget March Published