Mycah Dior talks her creative process and journey into celebrity nail art, including her work with Cynthia Erivo, which all started in high school.

During this year's awards season, eyes on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/cynthia-erivo">Cynthia Erivo</a> justifiably ogled her gowns, customized to channel Elphaba, her <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/wicked">Wicked</a> character. The English actor&rsquo;s Louis Vuitton look at the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/oscars">Oscars</a>, for example, was distinguished by its deep emerald hue. But almost as statement-making as her outfits are Erivo&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/nails">nails</a>. Her kaleidoscopic talons also tell a tale, thanks to her go-to manicurist Mycah Dior, a 20-year-old nail artist from Los Angeles.
Dior, known on Instagram as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/clawzbydior_/?hl=en">@clawzbydior_</a>, started working with Erivo in late 2024, just in time for Wicked&rsquo;s Los Angeles premiere. That night, each of Erivo&rsquo;s fingernails featured a myriad of charms, from tri-toned geometric drawings on her ring finger to chains on her pinky, and oversized crystals dotting her thumb. Dior freestyles each of Erivo&rsquo;s sets.
&ldquo;I have templates of nails, and I'll draw different things on them. That's [a huge part of] my creative process. I might look at what she's wearing for an event to get a feel of how I want her nails to look,&rdquo; Dior says.
Dior had been curious about nails as a child, painting hers or her mother&rsquo;s in front of the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/tv">TV</a>, but the pandemic became a tipping point. With the extra time, Dior bought an acrylic starter kit and dedicated herself to her practice, watching YouTube tutorials and aided by her mother&rsquo;s support. Dior landed her first celebrity client (rapper Queen Key) before she even graduated high school, and her business continued to snowball, thanks to word-of-mouth referrals and social media. This led her to work with musicians like former City Girls duo JT and Yung Miami.

Cynthia Erivo at the 2025 Oscars. Getty Images.

&ldquo;I got a DM around 11 p.m., and I was on my way to bed to get up for school the next morning, but I took the appointment,&rdquo; Dior remembers. After traveling to meet the hip hop artists and bedecking their nails, she finished at 4 a.m. &ldquo;Of course I was tired [the next day], but it was worth it. Red Bulls and coffee were my thing in high school.&rdquo;
Dior has continued to find and build her unique nail art style, and the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/manicure">manicure</a> maven tends to have the most fun with &ldquo;junk nails&rdquo;: a look where flashy adornments top each OPI-lacquered nail. This is evident in her maximalist sets for Erivo, mixing sculptural elements such as&nbsp; watch faces and eyeballs on her claws.
In addition to ongoing work with celebrities, Dior is expanding her brand in a major way this month, opening her very own LA beauty bar, Noire Luxe LA. Offering luxury services for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/hair">hair</a>, skin, and, of course, nails, the nearly 3,000-square-foot salon will also include a caf&eacute;, where patrons can enjoy a latte or glass of bubbly while getting the true A-list treatment.

Photography courtesy of Mycah Dior.

Meet the 20-Year-Old Nail Artist Behind Your Favorite Celebrities' Manicures 

L'OFFICIEL USA May 2025 - Isabela Merced Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA May 2025 - Ciara Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA March 2025 - Amanda Seyfried Cover 

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA APRIL 2025 - Jon Hamm Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA December 2024 - Julianne Moore Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA November 2024 - Salma Hayek Pinault Cover

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA October 2024 - Rupert Friend Cover

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES USA October 2024 - Joseph Quinn Cover

L'OFFICIEL USA September 2024 - Fall Fashion Cover Featuring Supermodel Sasha Pivovarova

Meet the 20-Year-Old Nail Artist Behind Your Favorite Celebrities' Manicures

Tags

Related Articles

Beauty

2025 Nail Trends To Try This January

Beauty

The Ultimate Guide to Every Type of Manicure

Beauty

The Trendiest Nails From the Spring/Summer 2025 Runways

Recommended posts for you

Fashion

Nicole Kidman Honored at Cannes Women in Motion Dinner as Stars Turn Out in Style

Fashion

Jimmy Choo's Archive Collection Includes Carrie Bradshaw's Most Famous Heels

Film & TV

Meet the Cast of the Newest Hunger Games Film, ‘Sunrise on the Reaping’

L'Officiel Art

Inside the Art Basel Awards 2025

Fashion

These Sorbet Shades Will Keep You Cool for the Summer

Men's

Pedro Pascal Flexes His Style (and His Biceps) in a Muscle Tee at Cannes Photocall

Fashion

Louis Vuitton Will Stage Its Cruise 2026 Show in Avignon, France

L'Officiel Art

Artist Kennedy Yanko Is Taking Up Space—And She's Doing It On Her Own Terms