Looking Back on our Washington Square Park Pop-up
On a sunny Sunday afternoon in July, Talons set up under the arch in Washington Square Park, surrounded by the usual variety of artists selling their paintings and trinkets, we set up a table and some chairs, arranged a makeshift product display, and on an easel- secured a sign inviting men to “get nail’d!” While we had men's nail kits on hand to sell, we were more interested in finding out what happens when you ask New Yorkers directly: would you wear press on nails for men? By the end of the day, the more interesting answer wasn’t about the nails at all.
Six hours under the arch…
We came with kits to sell, and people bought them: matte black, dark chrome, and gold nails were the most popular, with a handful of other finishes mixed in. But selling was never really the point of being there. For every guy who left with a sealed box packed into his tote bag, there were four more who wanted to talk, and two others who wanted us to apply a single nail to see what it was like, and so we did just that. After these guys chose their designs we applied them with care and intention, and by the end of the day it was clear, someone interested in putting on a full set already knows the answer, but someone willing to try a single nail is just becoming ready to engage with the question.
Though we sold a number of kits and applied a lot of nails, full nail sets and single ones alike, it really felt like we spent the majority of that day- not just talking, but deeply engaged in conversation. What do Talons actually feel like once they’re on- physically? Psychologically? What might it feel like walking into a meeting, or a first date? At one point a stranger walking past didn’t even stop- he just called out, half-laughing: “Hey, y’all doing the Lord’s work, man. Y’all doing the Lord’s work.” Then he kept walking. We laughed, but it stayed with us.
The masculinity conversation…
We didn’t set up in Washington Square Park to redefine masculinity. That’s not really the goal, and it’s not the conversation most guys actually wanted to have with us. Almost nobody who sat down at that table needed convincing the idea was good, they’d already decided that, or they wouldn’t have sat down. What they needed was for the cost of trying it to feel lower than it currently does.
So instead of “why would a man wear nails,” the better question seemed to be the one we kept landing on, over and over, for six hours: “why wouldn’t they?” Masculinity isn’t something we’re out here rewriting, it’s already big enough to hold this. We don’t need to define it, we just need to make it a little easier for someone to find out it already fits. That’s the actual thesis behind a pop-up like this: normalize the behavior, elevate the product. Not “look how brave you are for trying this”, just “here, try one”.
On showing up…
Six hours, countless people who stopped to ask questions, and unsurprisingly, a large number of individuals who wanted to sit down and have us put Talons on them. In a way this kind of felt like a microcosm of what we’ve been experiencing since we launched back in September. When we decided to make designer nails for men we knew we would have to create a product that fit well, was easy to use, and came in styles that men could see themselves in. But nothing we heard in the park that day was really about materials or usability; it was about the bigger, deeper ideas surrounding men’s expression, and that’s exactly what we’re here for. Talons are exactly what press-on nails for men can be when the fit is right and the invitation is authentic. When it’s not a costume, a stunt, or even a statement you have to defend- it’s just another way to let people see you the way you already see yourself.
The pioneers have already blazed the trail and the world seems ready to walk the path. But Talons isn’t just here to meet a need, there’s still plenty of work to be done- and we’re here to do it.
