Cynthia Erivo was a hardcore nail art enthusiast long before landing her leading role in the Wicked movie, but the elaborate Elphaba-inspired manicures she's been sporting on this press tour have me under their spell. It started with the bejeweled green and burnt orange beetle shell manicure she wore to the launch of Wicked x OPI nail polish collection in New York City. Next came the mint green and black stiletto nails crawling with flames and serpents she wore to the Academy Museum Gala and the 2024 CFDA Awards in October. And I would be remiss not to mention the black lace-tipped nails she wore to the film's Sydney premiere, complete with silver cross charms and giant emerald gems.
So far, most of Erivo's witchy manicures have been the work of nail technician Rose Hackle, with whom the star has worked for five years. For Wicked premiere in Mexico City on Nov. 11, however, the Grammy Award-winning singer tapped 19-year-old Dior, a.k.a. Clawz by Dior: a Los Angeles-based nail artist whose client list also includes Olympians Jordan Chiles and Sha'Carri Richardson.
Arguably, it was Erivo's most nail-centric ensemble yet. Whereas her co-star Ariana Grande stepped out in an iridescent strapless ball gown, Erivo hit the yellow carpet in a hooded Thom Browne bolero jacket that literally had an extra set of hands growing out of the shoulders. Topping off the two-piece set was a black and green sequin strapless dress with an exaggerated, angular hip silhouette styled by Jason Bolden. Unlike the fabric faux hands that framed her face, which were adorned with pointy dark green tips, Erivo's actual hands were decorated with glittery blood red paint spills, sharp silver spikes, and ominous black swirls.
Erivo even channeled her love of nail art into the styling of her character, Elphaba: Wicked's green-skinned, sorely misunderstood protagonist.
“I knew I wanted her to have micro braids, and I knew I wanted her to have a full set,” Erivo previously told Marie Claire, calling those creative choices “a nod to my culture and a nod to the character."
Extravagant nails, she continued, will play an important role in both Wicked: Part One, out on Nov. 22, and Wicked: Part Two, which is due for release in 2025. In the first installment, Elphaba's nail journey begins with a makeover scene where she gets a sparkly set of black and metallic green nails.
“In the second movie, they're much longer, much more expressive," Erivo added. "We're playing with the marbling of it, we're playing with ombré...It’s a realization of the magic that she has."
