We’ve never looked down at our hands, sighed, and wished our manicure matched our Birkin, but the uber-wealthy will be pleased to learn that Hermès is launching a line of nail polish.
On October 15, the French house will expand its beauty imprint with a collection of 24 lacquers, plus nail brushes and other manicure tools that harken to the label’s equestrian heritage (because the superrich want to treat their hands like horse hooves, apparently).
The crown jewel of the collection is a nail enamel that replicates Hermès’ signature shade of orange. The tangerine hue is also applied to what we can only assume is the fanciest nail file in existence.
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Though Hermès is a fairly classic brand, we can’t help but wonder how it missed the opportunity to market its manicure line as unisex. Images of the upcoming range noticeably omit male and gender non-conforming models, a puzzling choice considering the slew of beauty brands — most recently, YSL Beauty — making an effort to launch more inclusive marketing campaigns.
In addition, manicure tools don’t hold the same gendered connotations as, say, eyeshadow or lipstick. Expanding the range to a wider consumer base would seem like a rather obvious — and profitable — decision, but alas, we don’t make the rules.
Nowadays, it’s fairly commonplace to see men wearing nail polish — A$AP Rocky, Harry Styles, and Post Malone are only a few male celebs who flaunt enviable manicures. Lil Yachty even launched his own nail polish brand, Crete, which boasts the Telfar-esque slogan, “For You. Not Them.”
Of course, much of Hermès’ DNA is built on exclusivity, which is essentially the only reason anyone willingly shovels out upwards of $10K for a Birkin bag. Hermès nail polish will set you back $45 a bottle — much more affordable than a Birkin, but a price tag that’s still prohibitive to a huge demographic.