Deborah Lippmann Talks Vanity Fair Cover Shoot With Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner’s cover for Vanity Fair was always destined to be a big deal, so it’s no surprise that the magazine called upon a collective of the most talented beauty experts for the big day. Deborah Lippmann – who has already tended to the tips of Kim Kardashian and is a firm fashion week fave - joined makeup artist Mark Carrasquillo and hairstylist Oribe on set to tend to the A-lister.

Yesterday, we caught up with Deborah to talk about this summer’s nail trends (think neutral, nude and squoval), and got chatting about the day of the cover shoot. During our time with the nail legend, Deborah spoke of what a “blessing” it was to give Caitlyn her first professional manicure, and how it felt to be involved in such a momentous shoot.

Curious to know how Deborah got the call up, or wondering what made them pick a deep red hue over a nude for Caitlyn’s nails? Here’s what she told us…

On being asked to do the Caitlyn cover:

“Vanity Fair reached out to me and said, ‘We’ve got a very hush-hush shoot and nobody can know.’ I thought maybe it was Kate Middleton. They were clear – they said, ‘We’re just not saying.’ At first I was like, ‘Well before I say yes to a job, I want to know where I’m going.’ But I have such a deep relationship with them, that I trust them, and they were like, ‘We just need you.’ So I was like ‘ok’. “A few days before, they told me who it was because I needed to be prepared, and then I was able to arrange an entire arsenal for all of the what-ifs.”

On keeping the shoot secret (even from her husband!):

“When I was going to do the Vanity Fair Shoot, nobody knew where I was going – including my agent, who didn’t know where I’d been until it leaked. It was VERY high profile… My agent was like ‘Who are you doing?’ And I’m like ‘I’m not telling you!’. “My husband said, ‘I think you’re going to do Kate Middleton! I’ve got it!’ And then other people thought I was going to do Lady Gaga’s wedding. Those were the two.”

On how it felt to be involved:

“It was a game-changer. It was a real life changer. I love her. It was surreal…I think we all left there that day and went, ‘What can we ever do that will be more of a blessing?’ It was really incredible.”

On giving Caitlyn her first professional manicure:

“On the day I discovered that I had actually given Caitlyn her first professional manicure and pedicure, which was seriously… I mean, I’m in such an honourable place."

On the original plan for Caitlyn’s nails:

“We went through all the clothes and we actually decided on doing a natural nail, which was also a big decision, a big discussion, because, you know, I felt like it was important for her to be… There’d been a lot of things that had been changed and maybe it should be a real nail.”

On choosing red:

“Caitlyn just kind of loved the idea of wearing a red nail. And then we went through the reds and she picked it out and then I said, ‘Well, that one’s called Lady Is A Tramp’. She laughed and was like, ‘That’s it! Let’s roll with that one, baby!’ She said, ‘That’s about the last thing I am but let’s roll with that!’”