Bernadette Thompson

Thompson was born in 1969 in Yonkers, New York. During her upbringing, she casually styled hair and nails for friends, fostering an early interest in beauty and cosmetology. In 1993, she attended nail school part-time to formalize her skills. Shortly after, she opened her first salon in Yonkers.{{Cite news |last=Givhan |first=Robin |date=2021-12-03 |title=How Lil' Kim's most memorable manicure ended up in the Museum of Modern Art |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/11/14/how-lil-kims-most-memorable-manicure-ever-ended-up-in-the-museum-of-modern-art/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}

Thompson operated her salon for approximately six months{{Cite web |date=2024-06-01 |title=How both Black and Vietnamese women have shaped American nail salons |url=https://www.today.com/style/beauty/vietnamese-black-women-nail-salon-history-rcna154208 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=TODAY.com |language=en}} before receiving an opportunity to work with Hip Hop and R&B artist Mary J. Blige. The connection was facilitated through Mary's sister, LaTonya, who had recently had her nails done by Thompson. Blige admired LaTonya's nails and was surprised to learn they were done by Thompson, whom she knew from their shared upbringing. Blige reportedly sent a limousine to bring Thompson to collaborate with her. This encounter marked the beginning of Thompson's associations with leading artists in the music industry.

Following her work with Mary J. Blige, Thompson began connecting with other prominent figures in the hip hop and R&B scenes. Through industry connections, including those facilitated by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, she worked with artists such as Missy Elliott, and Beyoncé, establishing herself as a sought-after manicurist in the entertainment sector.{{Cite web |last=Michael |first=Souzan |date=2018-08-22 |title=Meet Bernadette Thompson, The Manicurist |url=https://fashionmagazine.com/beauty-grooming/bernadette-thompson-nails/ |website=Fashion Magazine}}{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Isoul |date=2021-11-15 |title=Bernadette Thompson Talks Nail Art |url=https://editionml.com/bernadette-thompson-talks-nail-art |website=Edition Modern Luxury}}

In 1998, Thompson began collaborating with fashion brands, including a partnership with Louis Vuitton. Her entry into high fashion expanded her influence beyond music, allowing her to contribute to runway shows, editorial shoots, and campaigns. Her work bridged urban street styles with luxury fashion, reflecting a merging of cultural influences.

In 1999, during a fashion shoot for a denim campaign featuring Lil' Kim, Thompson created the "money nails" design.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-30 |title=The Story of Nail Art: When Nails Became a Full-Fledged Design Accessory |url=https://www.elledecor.com/it/best-of/a37433904/story-of-nail-art-design/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=ELLE Decor |language=it-IT}} Seeking to produce a distinctive and bold look, she embedded real $100 bills into acrylic nails for Lil' Kim to wear on the set. Thompson told Harper's BAZAAR, "all she had were little short nails! So I went into my wallet, took money out, cut it up, and did a French manicure." The design was inspired by Lil' Kim's appearance in the song and music video "Get Money" by Junior M.A.F.I.A.. The "money nails" gained widespread attention and became emblematic of 1990s hip hop fashion, inspiring trends in nail art and popularizing elaborate nail designs in mainstream culture.{{Cite web |title=From Estheticians to Execs: 20 BTS Beauty Icons Making the Industry Better |url=https://www.byrdie.com/behind-the-scenes-beauty-icons-8607570 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Byrdie |language=en}}

The use of real currency in the "money nails" design led to a phone call from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, informing Thompson that defacing currency is a federal offense.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-20 |title=The Role Black Women Have Played On The Biggest Nail Trends Throughout The Years |url=https://www.thezoereport.com/beauty/black-nail-artists-nail-industry |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=The Zoe Report |language=en}}{{Cite magazine |date=2023-08-01 |title=Welcome to the Golden Age of Nail Art |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/beauty/nails/a44380670/nail-art-history/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |magazine=Harper's BAZAAR |language=en-US}} She told Elle Canada magazine that no charges were filed against her.{{Cite web |date=2017-12-06 |title=The Origin Story of Lil' Kim's Money Manicure |url=https://www.ellecanada.com/beauty/makeup-and-nails/the-origin-story-of-lil-kim-s-money-manicure/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=ELLE Canada Magazine {{!}} Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle Trends & Celebrity News |language=en}}

The popularity of the "money nails" contributed to the integration of hip hop aesthetics into the broader fashion industry. The design inspired other artists and designers to explore nail art styling, helping to bring such styles into the mainstream fashion dialogue.{{Cite web |last=Branch |first=Kate |date=2018-05-23 |title=From Gigi Hadid to Cardi B, Nail Bling is Officially Badder Than Ever |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/nail-art-acrylic-tips-swarovski-crystals-nineties-cardi-b-gigi-hadid-missy-elliott |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}

In 2017, the Museum of Modern Art invited Thompson to recreate the "money nails" for inclusion in the exhibition "Items: Is Fashion Modern?" The design was showcased alongside iconic fashion pieces such as the little black dress, red lipstick, and Chanel No. 5 perfume. The exhibition highlighted the cultural and artistic significance of her work within the context of modern fashion history.{{Cite web |date=2018-04-04 |title=Iconic Money Nails Now Exhibiting at Museum of Modern Art in New York |url=https://www.nailpro.com/news/article/21158252/iconic-money-nails-now-exhibiting-at-museum-of-modern-art-in-new-york |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Nailpro |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |title=14 Black Nail Artists Making an Impact in the Beauty Industry |url=https://www.byrdie.com/black-nail-artists-5220343 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Byrdie |language=en}}

Bernadette Thompson is considered a pioneer in nail artistry{{Cite web |date=2024-07-11 |title=EFOC 2024: Best Moments From Day Two At AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA |url=https://www.essence.com/festival/2024-essence-festival-of-culture/best-moments-day-two-afropunk-blktopia/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Essence |language=en-US}} and a leader in the industry. Face2Face Africa described her as "undoubtedly the go-to consultant for many A-list artists and Hollywood stars," noting that "her name has eventually become a household brand in almost every fashion magazine." Her innovative designs and collaborations have influenced trends in both the beauty and fashion industries with Harper's BAZAAR highlighting of her work with Lil' Kim that "the result, now known as money nails, became a defining moment in the history of hip-hop and beauty. The look went viral before the internet did." According to Elle Decor, "Money nails became a trending topic on Google... From then on, women of color would take the lead in a cultural rebirth for nail art, considered an affirmation of themselves and their aesthetic in a Eurocentric world."

Thompson's work has played a role in bringing elaborate nail art into mainstream acceptance as The Washington Post remarked, "In the beginning, the nails were part of a hip-hop style, which was a separate category from what was then considered mainstream fashion... Thompson helped to change that" and declared that her "nail art scrambled our assumptions about femininity, beauty and class." Edition Magazine by Modern Luxury referred to Thompson as "the living legend behind the world's most culture-shifting nail art," noting that "the explosive popularity of modern nail art has its origins in the work Thompson started with fellow Yonkers, N.Y. native singer Mary J. Blige."

Fashion Magazine credited Thompson as being "largely responsible for nails eventually becoming a major element of fashion shoots," adding that "trailblazers in the ’90s, like Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown and Mary J. Blige... introduced [blinged-out tips] to the mainstream. And the woman behind them all was manicurist Bernadette Thompson." Her influence has also led to manicurists receiving official credit in fashion photography, as cited by The Washington Post.

• Body art
• Avant-garde

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.moma.org/collection/works/222933 Museum of Modern Art "Money Nails"]

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Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:American artists

Category:Manicurists

Category:Cosmetics people

Category:People in fashion