The London-born, Los Angeles-based manicurist has become a go-to for music’s biggest chart-toppers.
Meet Coca Michelle, the Nail Artist Behind Megan Thee Stallion’s Anime Manicures
Throughout her meteoric rise, Megan Thee Stallion has made no secret of her long-standing passion for anime. The Houston rapper has cosplayed My Hero Academia’s Shoto Todoroki, name-checked Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z characters while freestyling, and served up an array of Instagram-breaking, anime-inspired manicures. The visionary responsible for the latter is none other than London-born, Los Angeles-based manicurist Coca Michelle, Megan's key nail artist, who’s a go-to for many of today's chart-toppers—including Cardi B, Rosalía, and Jhené Aiko—for her bold and bedazzled claw creations executed in exhaustive detail.
Born and raised in East London, Michelle began doing nails at the age of six. "While I was growing up, my parents worked for a hole-in-the-wall nail salon and then my father opened a salon," she explains. "I wasn't able to have someone to take care of me, so I was just always in that environment and picked the skill up." But while her craft was cultivated at an early age, it wasn't until she moved to the states to attend college at L.A.'s Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and began working at Laqué Nail Bar, where she relished being given complete creative freedom, even as a manicurist just starting out. "Through word of mouth, I ended up meeting my first celebrity client, Teyana Taylor," she explains. "I toured with her and that's where things took off."
In 2018, Michelle and Taylor went on to launch Junie Bee Nails, a '90s-themed nail salon in Harlem that offered everything from the decade's tell-tale airbrush nails to elaborate Swarovski-embellished claws. (Shortly before the pandemic, which forced the salon to close, Michelle amicably parted ways with the business.) Another standout career moment was joining forces with visual artist, photographer, and close friend Ro.lexx for Summer Walker's Over It album cover, where she gave the Atlanta singer a set of fluorescent pink, cherry-emblazoned stiletto tips. "I love doing things that are organic and allow me to work with people in the industry that are super grounded," she explains of finding like-minded collaborators. "I feel like it keeps me in touch with my roots, you know, just being from a mom-and-pop type of environment."
Needless to say, Michelle has found a natural collaborator in Megan Thee Stallion. One of their standout moments was on set for Megan’s Rolling Stone cover alongside SZA and Normani, where Michelle gave her an express set of glittering lipstick-shaped claws. “They were like, ‘Hey Coca, you have like 14 minutes to create a look. And I [told Megan], ‘All right, let me just chop your coffin up and we'll just create this new look for you. She was down and that's when I knew, This is going to be my partner in crime.” Then there was Megan's already-iconic "WAP" video, where Michelle gave her a duo of striking square-shaped talons; one pale yellow, coordinated to her Nicolas Jebran look; the other a gleaming silver set peeking out from her long purple fingerless gloves.
Their creative synergy also hinges on their mutual appreciation of anime, of course. "We each have a huge love of anime—and she's even more of a fan than I am!" laughs Michelle. Of all their anime-centric creations, her favorite was the one paying tribute to one of Megan's favorite animes, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, and its Stardust Crusaders arc. "I'd never watched it, but [Megan] is so passionate about it that it made me even more like, 'All right, let me step it up!" explains Michelle. "The thing with anime, and the artistry behind it, is that if you don't capture its essence, it can throw things off. It has such a cult following that having that challenge of recreating something iconic was more exciting to me than anything."
With over 16 years in the business, Michelle revels in being able to work with clients like Megan, who own what they love but also want to continue pushing their style forward. "I just love when people stay true to their authentic look while also evolving over time," she explains. "With Megan, she always been super creative, and [I love] being able to be a part of her team and help step it up, create new levels." Looking ahead as lockdowns begin to ease, she hopes they can start touring all over the globe. "Being in different environments keeps me inspired," she says. If one thing's certain, it's that for Michele, there are no limits—and she'll continue to turn out mesmerizing manicures that are feats of the imagination. "I'm the type of person where I don't like saying no," she says. "So whatever idea you have, I'm trying my best to make it happen."
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Lauren Valenti
