Vampire Fangs Are the Latest Mall Goth Trend Being Resurrected

In June 2021, Kourtney Kardashian cemented her position as the edgiest KarJenner sister when she posted a carousel of selfies showing off two sparking, gem-encrusted fangs. Captioned with a single vampire emoji, the pictures racked up an impressive 2.5 million likes, confirming what had been apparent for a while: If you're a one of the many celebs currently bewitched by the noughties "mall goth" aesthetic, then the hottest accessory is a pair of razor-sharp canines.

Over the last couple years, celebrities have been clamoring to prove their darker side via a pair of deadly fangs. In his "Rodeo" music video, Lil Nas X transformed into a vampire. Bebe Rexha takes shots of blood and flashes her pointed incisors in the video for "Sacrifice." Even the Gen-Z Hype House crew has heard the siren's call — Lil Huddy, also known as TikToker Chase Hudson, shape-shifted into an e-boy Dracula in the video for his pop-punk anthem "21st Century Vampire."

Last summer, Post Malone went one step further and had actual diamonds in the shape of fangs installed in his mouth by dentist Thomas Connelly, DDS. According to Dr. Connelly, pointed incisors are a popular request from his clients. "It lifts the lip a little bit differently in the corners and it changes the overall feel of the smile," he tells InStyle. "There's a lot of attention on teeth right now … People are starting to realize that the final frontier of the face is the mouth."

"A lot of people ask you to accentuate those teeth, and I think there are almost three levels," he continues. "If you have sharp canines it's a symbol of youth; if you make them about a millimeter longer then they're kind of sexy; and then if you go two or three millimeters longer they start to look gothic and vampish — it's a little extreme." So, whether you're looking for a slightly enhanced bite or a full-on fantastical look, canine transformations are on the rise.

The pandemic, an uncertain and often frightening time, has offered an excuse to resist reality and explore alternative personas. There's also the ongoing Y2K resurgence, and its emphasis on the emo aesthetic — so it's little wonder that the currently spooky vibe has sparked a renewed interest in the Twilight universe. If the Twihard memes, TikToks, and Instagram fan accounts are anything to go by, being a bloodsucker is cool once again.

Of course, tooth modifications are nothing new — gold teeth were popular with the Etruscans, while the Mayans favored jade decorations. Following a resurgence in the latter half of the 20th century, tooth gems, gold teeth, and grillz have become an important form of self-expression in Black communities. Adding an extra bit of shine to your grin is a joyful way to embrace your individuality. As Nelly says in the 2005 track, Grillz, "​​Got thirty down at the bottom, thirty more at the top ... / If I could call it a drink, call it a smile on the rocks."

So, if you've fallen for fangs, you're in good company. But just how easy is it to channel your inner Dracula? Well, if you want Post Malone's sparkling canines then you'll need over $1.5 million spare. "I met with Post a few years ago at Madison Square Garden backstage, and he wanted to do some diamond work," says Dr. Connelly. "He said 'hey, can you just make me two huge diamond fangs?' I said it's never been done before and it would probably be pretty expensive, but he was like 'I don't care!'"

"We took some very large diamonds to cut into the shape of a canine to fit into Post Malone's mouth," Dr. Connelly continues. "I think each one ended up being about six carats by the time we cut them down. That's a lot of wasted diamonds! But they are permanent, they don't come out, and they will be in there for as long as he wants them to be".

For those that can't quite afford a literal million-dollar smile, Dr. Connelly also offers a less expensive option, swapping precious stones for porcelain. "We just take an impression — we don't drill the tooth — then we hand-make porcelain in the shape of a vampire fang, and we bond that in place," he explains. According to Dr. Connelly, this kind of procedure costs around $3,000 per tooth, and you can have them removed without ruining your real teeth. "You have to destroy [the porcelain piece] to get it off, but we are able to go back to the original tooth shape without destroying the tooth at all. It doesn't cause any damage."

These procedures might be pricey, but for the rich and famous they offer the chance to become The Main Character and show off their emo credentials at the same time. After all, being a celebrity is all about illusion and mystery — and what better way to participate in the theater of fame than with a pair of glittering vampire fangs?