I loved Maquillage’s Snow Beauty compact from last year so much that getting my hands on the 2016 version was a top priority. Even the outer box is gorgeous.
The theme for each year’s design is inspired by images of snow in a particular city. Last year’s took its cue from Helsinki, and this year’s inspiration comes from the Big Apple. From the Maquillage website: “The concept for 2016 version is ‘Diamond Dust’ dancing in New York. It keeps flying freely being fluttered by breath of the energetic city. Only shining snow from the skyscraper’s window that confines the sky began to dance, and the moment the shining snow runs about in a big city was cut to the compact design.”
At first glance the etching didn’t really remind me of buildings – it had kind of an abstract, almost Art Deco feel – but once I saw the rest of the design it was a little more recognizable. The snowflakes are also cut off in places to look as though they’re falling in between and behind the “buildings”. This touch, coupled with the smaller dots of snow, produces an excellent likeness of a snowy cityscape. It’s an elegant, if idealized, recreation of one’s perspective if they looked up at skyscrapers during a snowstorm. Nothing in particular about the design really screams New York to me, but it’s just so darn pretty I’m willing to overlook that.
I like that they changed the design on the powder itself ever so slightly from last year’s.
I also love that the company put together a short film to further enhance the compact’s theme. And fortunately this year it was subtitled so I was able to follow along (well, sort of.)
Despite the subtitles I’m still not 100% sure what was going on, but it seems that the architecture student experiences a renaissance of sorts through the encouragement she receives from the train conductor. In a dream, he quite literally turns her world upside down and presents her with the compact as a keepsake to remind her of what she can achieve. At least, that’s how I interpreted it.
Overall, Maquillage’s 2016 Snow Beauty compact is a lovely little addition to the Museum’s collection and will be one of the star pieces in the holiday exhibition. It would have been nice to see a slightly more literal New York-inspired design, but I still think it’s better thought out than last year’s.
What do you think?
As soon as I laid eyes on this collection a while back I knew I had to procure it for the Museum. For the 3rd iteration of their Laneige Meets Fashion project, this fall Laneige teamed up with fellow Korean brand Lucky Chouette (chouette = owl in French.) Lucky Chouette is actually a sister line to Jardin de Chouette, a higher-end line founded in 2005 by Jae-Hyun Kim. Since I'm feeling too lazy to describe the aesthetics of each, I'll direct you to this great profile of both over at Style Bubble.
And now for the makeup! How freakin' cute are these owls?!
I learned that they have names and personalities. Bella is the pink owl and Vely is the blue one. Laneige describes them thusly: "Chouette, which means 'owl' in French, is a symbol of good fortune. An encounter between Laneige and Lucky Chouette gave birth to a lovely pair of owls that promise to bring good luck to all.We have two muses: Confident, outgoing, and outspoken, Bella Chouette is especially charming with her full lips. Shy Vely Chouette is prudish and prone to blush."
Bella's eyes are actually part of a plastic overlay on top of the blush, but she's still pretty adorable without it.
I figured that obviously Lucky Chouette clothing would be chock full of owls, and my hunch was correct. While there are plenty of pieces without the owl motif, the bird does figure prominently and comes in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
In poking around the Lucky Chouette site, I learned that besides Bella and Vely, the owls from past seasons also have their own names and personalities. Too bad I don't know Korean, because I'd love to understand the creation story.
I would also be able to read about each owl's style and character traits based on these little bios that pop up when you click on one of the owls. I always like to see a designer that really thinks about their work. In the case of Jae-Hyun Kim, these profiles show that she genuinely thought about each creation and their style inspiration – it's not simply "I think owls are cool so I'll just slap a bunch on my clothes", there's actually a story behind each one.
My favorite, obviously, was the punk-inspired Rebel Chouette…at least, her spiky crown looks to be pretty punk. She's particularly lucky too!
Now let's take a quick peek at the original Jardin de Chouette line, which, you guessed it, also works in several owl designs each season. The photos below are from shows spanning 2006 through 2014.
Overall, I enjoy the styles of both Jardin de Chouette and Lucky Chouette – I'd wear one of those owl sweaters from the latter in a heartbeat. Perhaps it's the extensive use of a beloved critter, or the fact that there's a higher-end line and a diffusion line, but this is reminding me quite a bit of Paul & Joe and Paul & Joe Sister. Of course, the silhouettes and general aesthetic/feel are different, but both Jae-Hyun Kim and Sophie Mechaly express their allegiance to their favorite animals by working them into their collections in new and exciting ways each season. I also think Lucky Chouette was a great choice for a collaboration with a makeup line.
What do you think? And are you more of a Bella or Vely? I'm more of the shy Vely type, although I like to think I have Bella's lashes. 🙂
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Buckle up and start your engines, ’cause you’re in for a wild ride! Well, as wild as this boring old curator can be. 😉 I almost feel like I need a flow chart or diagram to explain the myriad and complex ways cosmetics can be related to cars, and by extension, women. I can’t go into much detail since that would be an entire book, but I can provide a basic summary. The first thing that comes up when I searched for “women and cars” is images of “hot” (read: young, thin, usually white) women standing next to, or perched on top, a car. Traditionally these women have been used to sell cars to men; but instead of the opposite (i.e. showing hunky male models), makeup can be used to persuade women consumers into buying a car, and sometimes vice versa (a car is used to sell makeup). Makeup and car collaborations are fascinating, I think, because they’re so obviously an attempt to coax a population that’s usually not associated with cars into taking an interest in automobiles, and what better way to do that than to appeal to a woman’s supposed vanity? Obviously, I love makeup and don’t believe many aspects of it are un-feminist, but I do find trying to reach a female customer almost solely through the use of makeup to be remarkably sexist. These tie-ins are also interesting when we think of the admittedly shady strategies used by Mary Kay. Instead of being a passive consumer of cars and cosmetics, a woman could sell makeup to earn a pink car – the reverse of some of the ads and collaborations we’re going to look at today.
Starting in the 1950s makeup became a way to get women on board with the idea of car ownership. As this site devoted to the Dodge LaFemme, the first car marketed specifically to women, explains, “Shortly after World War II (and the Korean War) America entered a new era of prosperity and success. The days of one car families were fast becoming obsolete and families were now buying second cars to accommodate their new lifestyles. Suburbs were springing up outside urban areas and super highways were the wave of the future…Living in the suburbs meant the breadwinner had to drive to work downtown each day, leaving the housewife without a car. With the current prosperity being experienced in America, it seemed natural to go out and buy a second car for ‘the wife’. But what car to buy?…Gone were the days of ‘the wife’ simply staying at home. If ‘the wife’ was getting a new car, then Dodge needed to produce a car that ‘the wife’ would want to be seen in.”
In addition to the cars’ overall design that was meant to entice women, an exclusive makeup kit was included to emphasize that this was a vehicle made especially for the ladies. The 1955-56 Dodge LaFemme was a pink (naturally) car that boasted not only a matching raincoat and umbrella – if, heaven forbid, you got a flat tire in the rain – but also a special compartment hidden in the armrest supplied with an Evans compact and other items.
From the photo below it looks like Elizabeth Arden’s Ardena was also included, which seems odd – why go with two cosmetics brands?
Apparently La Femme failed to be a popular seller. Despite the alluring inclusion of cosmetics, the rest of the marketing was not on the same level as that for other automobiles. “Some suggest that the flop of the La Femme model was due to its lack of marketing exposure. It was only displayed on single-sheet pamphlets; there were no shiny demonstration models and no evidence of magazine, radio and television advertisement. It was likely most American women never even knew it existed at the time.” Well, color me surprised – promoting a car geared towards women was not treated with the same importance as other (men’s) cars? Shocking! Sarcasm aside, it is interesting that Dodge didn’t see the need to spend the same amount of advertising dollars. If anything, I would think a car company would have to work doubly hard and put more funds towards marketing for a segment of the population that typically did not own cars. Guess they thought the makeup kit alone would hook women in without having to do a ton of additional advertising.
Despite this failure, Elizabeth Arden followed suit in 1959 with a tie-in to the Chrysler Imperial. The makeup and skincare kit was stashed in the glove compartment. The advertising also highlighted women’s ability to be totally in control while still, of course, retaining a ladylike manner: “The Imperial 1959 is powerful but well-tamed…does what you ask, instantly, serenely…you sit head-high, imperially straight, as becomes a woman whose car is so much hers that even the interior fabrics are an obedient and tasteful foil for her ensemble.” In a world where women couldn’t even have a credit card in their own name, I could see how the prospect of independence and power through owning a car solely for her use would definitely be appealing. Still, if we’re to follow the aforementioned ’50s narrative of suburban families with the husband as primary breadwinner, how empowered could his wife really be? Even if she drives a car designed for women, the man still paid for it.
While Chrysler made a bigger marketing attempt than Dodge by placing ads in Vogue, I’m not sure if the sales of this car in “Arden Pink” fared any better than LaFemme. Nevertheless, automobile companies had alternatives for getting cars on women’s radar via other sorts of collaborations with makeup companies. Take, for example, this 1955 Cutex ad for a red shade inspired by Ford’s Scarlet Thunderbird that “separates the sirens from the sissies!” If you’re woman enough to wear this color, you’re woman enough to own a Ford.
Yet another tactic was the giveaway. In 1967, Dorothy Gray and its sister brand Tussy (owned by the same company) advertised sweepstakes to win cars in the same shades as their lipsticks, which naturally had car-themed names like Defroster.
More recently, in May Givenchy revived the idea of a car designed just for women in the launch of the Givenchy Le MakeUp, produced by French manufacturer DS. Le MakeUp borrows Dodge’s concept of esconcing an exclusive makeup kit in the armrest. The car is also “fitted with a special LED lighting system on the two sun visor mirrors in the front seats, for ease of make-up application before or after driving. Floor mats feature the limited edition Givenchy logo, while the dashboard is rose pink.” While the exterior isn’t pink, I can’t help but be amused by the fact that they retained at least some inclusion of the color.
Not only that, but “Whisper Purple” is used for the roof, mirrors, a hubcap accent and finally, to fully tie the car to the makeup, as a nail polish in the cosmetics kit. There’s also a video of Ruth Crilly, founder of the popular beauty site A Model Recommends, highlighting the car’s various features while wearing the makeup.
While the promotional copy claims that the car was designed to “meet to meet the expectations of many modern-day women who are always on the go,” Givenchy’s Artistic Director for Makeup Nicolas Degennes says, “I dreamt of a car that would enhance the beauty of women. They would be beautiful because they would be at the helm of the new DS3, a vehicle that characterizes this era. Beautiful because of colour, the reflections on the face. Beautiful because of the liveliness of the pink interior.” Indeed, even the style of the tires, one the company calls “Aphrodite,” reference beauty ideals for women. All of this further bolsters my opinion that the notion of gendered cars is astonishingly dated and sexist. Givenchy may have come up with a modernized version of the “Arden Pink” Chrysler or Dodge LaFemme, and while many more women today are making their own car payments, the cosmetic aspects of the DS’s design remain firmly in the ’50s. Especially since the inclusion of makeup in a car meant for women completely ignores the fact that this is the 21st century, and there are men who wear makeup as well as non-cis genders. Finally, there are still folks out there who think all women do before/during/after taking a spin in their car is applying makeup. The remarks at this website regarding the Givenchy car take the cake: “Girls don’t have such a great reputation as drivers, and a car with a makeup kit? Well. Let us only hope and pray that some 20-year-old doesn’t stop in the middle of a highway to dab a fresh layer of paint on her lips.” Oof.
Along these lines, even in the art world women can’t escape the traditional link between cars and makeup. For International Women’s Day in 2012, Indian car artist Sudhakar Yadav created several cars in the shape of a shoe, purse, lipstick and eye shadow as a tribute to women. Stereotype much?
I mean, don’t get me wrong, these look like a lot of fun and I give the guy credit for acknowledging there even IS an International Women’s Day. I’m sure his intentions were good and these were made as art, not to sell cars. But it still rubs me the wrong way. Obviously all women care about is makeup and shoes and bags, and they would appreciate the artist’s offering of wacky cars only if they were in the shape of girly things.*
As a seemingly harmless response to all of this, I’ll leave you with Italian brand Collistar’s summer 2016 lineup. The company teamed up with, fittingly enough, Fiat to create a collection celebrating the 500 model.
Personally, I generally hate cars (their design and history bores me, not to mention that they’re dangerous…I have a terrible fear of driving), and no amount of cool makeup is going to make me more accepting of them. And I sure as hell wouldn’t buy a car designed just for women – I dislike the fact that in 2016 some companies are 1. still thinking in terms of binary genders for products that should so obviously be gender-less, such as cars, and 2. still thinking that a car’s key selling points to reach women need to involve makeup. The Collistar collection, however, is something I’d gladly snap up if I had access to it. 😉
What do you think?
*The art cars remind me of the time my sister attended a conference on women business leaders, and the swag was all Clinique products. Not like, a tech gadget or a nice business card holder or something. (Ironically, my sister doesn’t wear a stitch of makeup. I believe her exact words were, “I don’t even use this shit!”)
Two French brands wanted to go up, up and away this spring with some balloon-themed offerings…but only one will make it to the stratosphere. Let's get ready to rummmmbbbblllllle! *ding ding*
On one side of the ring we have Lancôme My Parisian Pastels Shimmer Cube. A très cute girl wearing a pink top, polka dotted skirt and pink shoes sets out for a stroll with her dog on the rooftops of Paris. The bunch of colorful balloons she holds seem ready to take flight, all set to join the others floating in the distance. I'm not sure who was responsible for the illustration (I don't think it's Kerrie Hess, whom Lancôme worked with previously) but it's so perfectly Parisian.
The metal tin is tough enough to withstand any blows from its opponent.
Even the dog has a pink collar! Lancôme deals a strong right hook (bite?) with this detail.
Les Merveilleuses Ladurée's spring palette, however, isn't getting knocked down so easily. Ladurée retaliates with a lovely palette adorned with vintage-inspired illustrations of hot air balloons peacefully drifting against a pale blue sky. The purple ribbon, while delicate and silky, is actually a practical addition as it functions to keep the palette closed.
While Lancôme's illustration may have been completed by an actual artist and Ladurée's balloons resemble the results you'd get if you searched "vintage hot air balloon wallpaper" (seriously, try it), we don't know the name of the Lancôme artist; therefore, the illustration's power is somewhat diminished. Plus, Ladurée at least attempted customization of their slightly generic, clip-art-esque dirigibles. The details on the larger balloons, like the large script "M" and the signature cameos that are featured on nearly all products in the makeup line, pummel Lancôme's rather plain versions.
The inside of the palette features more delightful balloon illustrations and an elegant layout overall, in stark contrast to the interior of the Lancôme tin, which looks painfully similar to children's crayons or chalk.
But wait! Lancôme reveals a secret weapon to hold off their adversary: a truly magical ad for their spring collection. This is a huge turn of events! Ladurée has no such campaign for their spring lineup.
Lancôme's sturdy metal case, chic Parisienne, and surprise attack with a whimsical promo all prove they've got the capacity to flatten their rival. But despite this, LM Ladurée's larger size, dainty yet resilient ribbon, and variety of balloon designs full of vintage charm may still send Lancôme down for the count. Which one will be deflated…er, defeated? Tell me in the comments! (Also tell me whether you think either of these designs surpass Guerlain's Poudre aux Ballons, or this excellent 2013 ad.)
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As soon as I got wind of this collection over at A Touch of Blusher I started coveting it. According to PJ, this was the first time Pola's BA line ventured into color cosmetics. The collection was also created in collaboration with Japanese flower artist Makoto Azuma. I figured this item was out of my grasp, then it miraculously popped up on Adambeauty so I pounced.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the design. Online it looked pretty neat, as you don't often see any sort of design in cream products. But in person I was a bit underwhelmed. The thick black borders separating the colors are reminiscent of stained-glass crafts I used to do as a kid. And I don't understand why they had to make the lip base a sickly, mucus-green color. I guess they wanted it to look like leaves, but they really should have just left it clear or even white – it's an extremely off-putting hue.
To be honest, I was more interested in the traveling flower stall that Makoto Azuma created for Pola. Azuma (b. 1976) has quite a fascinating career trajectory. In 2002 he joined forces with photographer Shunsuke Shiinoki to open Jardin des Fleurs, a haute couture flower shop offering custom bouquets in Tokyo. In 2005 he began exploring the idea of flowers as art, inventing the genre of "botanical sculpture", and in 2009 he launched his own experimental "botanical lab". His work has since been shown in exhibitions across Europe, China, Mexico and New York City. I love this story – a florist turned avant-garde artist! In addition to his private works, prior to his collaboration with Pola Azuma was hired by many big fashion names to create installations for new stores or exhibitions, like Dries Van Noten:
A "fur tree" for a Fendi pop-up store in Ginza:
Hermès store display:
Grand opening of Isetan department store in Shinjuku:
An amazing take on the Lady Dior bag for Dior's "Lady Dior As Seen By" series, which features artists interpreting the bag in their individual style (you might remember Vincent Beaurin's version and subsequent palette for Dior):
Some fun things: collaborations with Hello Kitty and macaron magnate Pierre Hermé:
Finally, I don't think this piece was for any particular company but it blew me away. I wonder how long it took to get all those flowers into jars and then arrange them into that huge square.
As for the Pola stall, I'm not sure exactly what the purpose of the structure is, like what those dials and pipes are for, but it's eye-catching nonetheless. The overall shape of the metal frame for the cart looks rather steampunk to my eye, and is unique from Azuma's other work. (But it may be a reincarnation of the vintage "paludarium" he dreamed up for Hermes, which you can see in the photos above).
You would think that the website devoted solely to the stall would be chock full of information on it, like the inspiration behind its design, its purpose, etc. Unfortunately all I found was this meager description. "On the night of the new moon, the flower stall appears. Its location – a surprise. In the woods? By the sea? Or in a tiny alley. If you're lucky you will witness its magic. Pull the lever and watch the buds burst into blossom. The spark is ignited. The flower stall brings new life." (Azuma's own website did not have any description either.)
Maybe I've been watching too many horror movies, but photos of the stall by itself, isolated from humans and in odd places, kind of creeped me out. These three pictures in particular reminded me of the image on the poster for Rosemary's Baby. It just looks so unnatural and menacing on a beach, like an evil object someone abandoned there, hoping the tide will take it out to sea.
Only slightly less unsettling was its being situated in a forest because it's at least surrounded by other plant life, but really, if I came across this while hiking in the woods I'd run the other way.
As I discovered, the unnatural placement was totally deliberate, according to the artist's website. "In recent years, Azuma has been focusing on his project arranging flowers in all kinds of mundane situations that don’t occur in the realm of nature, and continues to pursue the beauty of plants from a unique point of view." It's a great concept, but I think for the Pola stall it didn't quite work. However, Azuma's other experiments with putting flowers where they're not normally found turned out beautifully. Some examples include this stunning installation in the middle of the Hinoba-an Sea near the Philippines.
And he's even sent flowers into space! I thought maybe these pictures were Photoshopped, but apparently Azuma hired a space engineer help launch the flowers from the Nevada desert and used a Go Pro for the images. "Plants on the earth rooted in the soil, under the command of gravity. Roots, soil and gravity – by giving up the links to life, what kind of 'beauty' shall be born? Within the harsh 'nature,' at an attitude of 30,000 meters and minus 50 degrees Celsius, the plants evolve into EXBIOTA (extraterrestrial life). A pine tree confronting the ridge line of the Earth. A bouquet of flowers marching towards the sun hit by the intense wind. Freed from everything, the plants shall head to the space." I adore the idea of "freeing" flowers from their natural habitat and transforming them into alien life forms.
Getting back to the Pola stall, I liked it so much better in Tokyo. It was much less scary in an environment bustling with activity, and it allowed for human interaction.
Again, while there was no concrete information about the flower stall, there was at least a short video of it making its way through the city, which was pretty cool. People were stopping to look at and photograph the stall, and it looks like you could even buy a flower from it.
I'm assuming Pola does not have its own storefront, which is why Azuma went the mobile route rather than creating an amazing installation. Yet, I think perhaps he could have done an installation for one of Pola's department store counters or the salon in Japan. I also wish I could definitively figure out why he went with an industrial-looking design for the stall as well as his role in the palette's design. I understand why Pola chose Azuma to collaborate, however; the company has a rich history of dedication to both the arts in general and preserving and exhibiting beauty culture, so it's no surprise they wanted to team up with an artist to create a collector's piece. Additionally, Pola's cutting-edge BA line is derived from a variety of plant extracts (hence the "Bio Active" name) so it's quite fitting that Pola selected Azuma, who also thinks outside the box when it comes to botanicals. In much the same way the flower stall "brings new life" to its environment, Pola's BA line will (allegedly) invigorate and refresh one's skin.
What do you think of the palette and Azuma's work?
I saw this lovely collection over at A Touch of Blusher months ago and immediately began trying to track it down. Ichibankao didn't carry it but fortunately it popped up on Imomoko. For their 15th anniversary collection packaging, EST created a gorgeous floral arrangement set against a crisp white background. While the freshness of these blooms would seem more appropriate for a springtime release, it's so pretty I don't care that it's not quite what we think of for a holiday collection. I picked up the pink set (there is also a blue one.)
I love the realism and variety of the flowers. It looks like a professional florist made this bouquet and I can imagine it sitting in an equally elegant vase. I'm not sure whether there was an outside artist involved in the creation of the design as I was unable to translate the product description from the EST website, but if not, EST did a great job on their own.
What do you think?
I spotted this crazy makeup set over at Musings of a Muse and immediately burst out laughing! I don't know why but I found the notion of a palette and lipstick tucked away in a high-heeled shoe to be rather hilarious.
I can't believe the mirrored heel detaches to reveal a lipstick inside. That's pretty next level since it makes for a unique heel but also a great lipstick case.
There is actually a story behind this bizarre creation. British shoe designer Sophia Webster collaborated with Maquillage to celebrate the brand's 10th anniversary for their holiday collection. You might know Webster from her playful (and in some cases, completely impractical) shoe designs, particularly the famous Evangeline winged heels, which you get a glimpse of in the Maquillage promo.
I have to admit, I wouldn't mind owning these in silver.
Her designs remind me quite a bit of Charlotte Olympia's in that they're both more strange yet fun art objects rather than shoes. I'd have significant trouble figuring out how to wear some of Webster's styles.
Except for these, from the spring/summer 2014 collection – every '90s woman NEEDS these in her shoe wardrobe, especially me since it's one of my favorite songs from the decade. Too bad I had no idea they existed and now they're gone.
Anyway, I couldn't identify the shoe that the Maquillage palette is based on. It looks sort of similar to the Amanda style, but it's not an exact match.
The slide-out palette in the toe of the Maquillage shoe looks a little childish (sort of reminds me of Polly Pockets) but the overall piece is just so weird and goofy I can't help but smile when I see it. Plus, obviously it would make a great display item for the Museum. Therefore I think I may have to order it shortly. 😉
What do you think of Webster's style and the Maquillage design?
I meant to snap up the Snow Beauty powder from Shiseido's Maquillage line when it was released for the 2014 holiday season, then ended up completely dropping the ball. This year when I saw the powder was returning I was determined not to miss out. (You can see a full review of the 2014 powder over at the excellent Silverkis' World). While the 2015 powder is similar to last year's, there are a couple of additional touches that, in my opinion, make it even prettier. The Snow Beauty powders have a different design each year centered on "moments of beautiful snow" taken from all over the globe. This year's theme is Night Snow Flower, which features "snow flowers dancing in the sky of Nordic Finland" and is based on the 24-hour period of darkness that occurs once a year: "This city has a night called Polar Night where the sun does not rise all day. A moment of magical snow flowers illuminating the deepest night sky is captured in the compact." I'm not sure whether the description meant "country" and not "city", as Finland is a country, but at least there was an attempt to describe the inspiration behind the pattern. Or perhaps the "city" is in fact Helsinki, since it's referenced in the short film Shiseido created to go along with the compact's release. (Alas, I couldn't fully understand it since it's in Japanese, and Google Translate was, once again, no help when I plugged in the film's description…something about an abominable snowman?!)
I know the outer casing is plastic but the rest of the compact is metal, so it's a nice substantial weight that doesn't feel or look cheap. The snowflake pattern is just lovely and the large snowflake at the top has a subtle aurora borealis finish that catches the light beautifully. It also reminds me of Dior's Cristal Boreal pendant from 2009.
The puff is adorned with a cute little golden snowflake.
Whereas last year's Snow Beauty only had the Maquillage name engraved in the powder, this year's version spells out the product name with a smattering of snowflakes.
All in all, a great addition to the holiday exhibition lineup. :) What do you think? And can you help me figure out what the film was about?
I thought I'd offer a palate cleanser today after yesterday's somewhat depressing post. Let's take a peek at some pretty little watercolor illustrations from Australian artist Kerrie Hess. While the two collections I'll be focusing on were released way back in early spring, I still thought they were worth writing about now since the illustrations are so utterly charming.
While Hess enjoyed her early career as a graphic designer, she soon realized that fashion illustration was her passion. (I'm sure her sister's work was also an inspiration). In addition to her regular graphic design job for London's The Independent newspapers, she also worked on small commissions for her illustrations. It wasn't long until they got the attention of the fashion world, and soon Hess was creating campaigns for the likes of Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Alexander McQueen. Eventually she began collaborating with non-fashion companies like Le Meurice Hotel (where, incidentally, the husband and I stayed for our honeymoon!) and Ladurée. Now Hess has also made her way into the world of cosmetics.
First up is Korean brand Etude House's Dreaming Swan collection. Hess created a lovely ballet theme with loads of feminine touches – lots of pink, bows, even a hint of tulle.
While Hess's work is chic and fashionable (she names Grace Kelly as an inspiration), there's definitely an effortlessness about it. Indeed, as you watch her work on the Dreaming Swan collection, the dabs of paint seem to flow from her brush with great ease. In an interview with TOTOI, Hess states that while her uncomplicated style stems partly from the fact that she's been drawing from an early age, she also never felt compelled to make a "perfect" drawing. "I did weekend art classes from about 5 or 6 (in my fluro bike shorts no less) and I absolutely recall my teacher telling me that you are never drawing things or people, only shapes and lines. I like this, it takes the pressure off trying to be perfect; and it still stays with me. I also think that it’s the imperfections in an art piece that can really make it. A little smudge here or there links back to the piece being done by hand."
Prior to the Etude House collaboration, Hess did a collection for Lancôme in honor of their 80th anniversary. While I'm peeved it was exclusive to Australia, I can't imagine a better match for this collaboration. Hess was born and raised in Australia but lived in Paris for over a year. Calling it her home away from home, she is able to perfectly capture the sophistication and style that are unique to the City of Lights. About being selected for the collaboration, she says: "As my illustration aesthetic is very French, all about couture, beauty and Paris, we were a perfect match…I love the sense of history of the Lancôme brand and have always used the products myself. It was also really wonderful as an artist to be given a lot of creative license from Lancôme. I always feel that I do my best work when this is the case. And with that trust I wanted very much to create really beautiful images to represent a brand that I personally admire. I hope I have really captured the city of Paris in all of the images, Lancôme being so associated with the city of lights and made the products that we have collaborated on, ones that people will want to keep as much as use." I personally think she nailed it, but have a gander at her work below and decide for yourself.
Additionally, the Lancôme collaboration gave Hess the opportunity to add a little more color to her models' faces than she normally does. She explains, "Working with Lancôme has inspired me to become a bit more dramatic in my illustrations, with dark eye make-up and red lips, whereas I used to keep my faces bare to keep the spotlight on the dresses.”
I really like how Hess is able to adjust her aesthetic to fit both brands. The Etude House Dreaming Swan collection was very girly and clearly meant for their teenaged demographic, whereas the more high fashion-inspired, Parisian-themed Lancôme collection would appeal to women in their 20s and older. And she also emphasized the cosmetics aspect in each by adding some color to the models' pouts (pink for Etude House and red for Lancôme.)
I'm currently browsing her Instagram and online print shop…I'd seriously consider buying this one if it wasn't sold out! What do you think of these collections and Hess's work overall?
Today I wanted to share two relatively noteworthy finds I've recently come across, one extremely adorable and the other…not so much. The first is Korean brand Too Cool for School's Dinoplatz range. Too Cool for School is a trendy, youth-oriented brand (intended for 16-25 year-olds), and their Dinoplatz collection features a broad variety of products for their target demographic, all outfitted in quirky illustrations of dinosaurs that occasionally appear to be running amok in New York City. The range has been around for a while so why I'm only finding out about it now is a mystery, especially since the packaging won a Dieline award in 2013 and I've been following The Dieline for years. Anyway, let's get to the goods.
The illustration style is intentionally somewhat crude, which I think is perfect for teenagers – the drawings remind me of the doodles you'd make in the margins of your notebook when you were bored during class.
There are tons of Dinoplatz items available from reliable sellers on E-bay, so if you simply must own a CC cream with an illustration of a dinosaur scaling the Empire State Building, you still have a chance! I think I see some of these items ending up in the Museum's collection in the near future. 😉
The second, considerably less cute item I wanted to highlight today is Shu Uemura's Tokyo Doll palette, which I discovered at Chic Profile. According to the information there, the Tokyo Doll palette is a highly exclusive item which will most likely be available for sale only at Asian travel retailers, i.e. duty-free shops, later this summer. I think I'm okay with not getting my hands on it. If I know Shu, I bet there was an outside artist involved in the design which sort of makes me want to go after it, but honestly, I'm a little freaked out by this.
Maybe it's just because I find dolls to be creepy in general so the name of the palette is throwing me off, but I'm finding this to be rather strange. The oversize eyes would actually look cute (or harmless at the very least), but combined with the egg-shaped head and the slits for nostrils, the face as a whole is a little disconcerting. She looks quite alien-like, and her little grin doesn't help matters. I also don't like how her fingers curl around her face. The proportions look off – that pinky finger seems way longer than it should be and reminds me of a tentacle.
What do you think of these two? And which is scarier in your opinion, Shu's Mon Shu girl or this new Tokyo Doll?
