Dawn Sterling has had a whirlwind few days. The NYC nail artist behind Nail Glam crafted some of the most stunning manicures for the 2025 Met Gala, working tirelessly to create custom designs that perfectly matched the “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme.

Starting Saturday, Sterling hauled her nail kits—four heavy cases she jokes weigh “as much as a ten-year-old each”—from hotel room to hotel room to perfect each look. “It’s all about collaboration,” she explains. “Working with the artist, stylist, and glam team to bring the vision to life—that’s how the perfect manicure happens.” Here, she breaks down the standout nail designs from last night’s gala.

### Alicia Keys
For Alicia, we wanted her nails to mirror the sophistication of her suit—polished, elegant, and deeply personal. We matched the nail color exactly to her suit and added sleek extensions for a glamorous touch. The highlight? Custom buttons on each nail, identical to those on her suit, engraved with her and her husband’s initials.

### Paloma Elsesser
Paloma’s look was all about hyper-realism—a futuristic dandy trapped in time. I mixed a custom yellow cream gel with hints of brown, white, and clear to mimic her natural nail tone, then layered it under extensions for depth. To push the realism further, I added faint brown lines across the tips.

### Adut Akech
Since Adut was fully covered in Swarovski crystals, we kept her nails refined and subtle—natural with a single sparkling ring finger encrusted in Swarovski. A quiet elegance to balance the full shimmer.

### Chappell Roan
Inspired by fabric swatches from her design team, we layered bold pinks and metallic finishes. Using OPI, we sculpted a pink jade “eye” at the center of each nail, framed by striking outlines in pink, metallic, and white—creating a futuristic, feminine statement.

### Jerry Lorenzo
I’ve worked with Jerry for years, and we’ve perfected his signature look. This time, we kept it minimal but elevated—a clean, buffed manicure with 24K gold chrome only on the thumbs. His signature flex: precise and understated.

### Hailey Bieber
For her pearlescent finish, I custom-mixed Funny Bunny, Top Coat Tin Man Can, and Put It in Neutral to achieve that soft, glowing effect.

### Anok Yai
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