Karmen Pedaru models Michael Kors Sporty, Sexy and Glam
Fashion designers are banking on the beauty industry.
Not everyone can afford a Narciso Rodriguez wiggle dress or a pair of Tom Ford bondage stilettos, but a bold red lipstick from your favorite designer is much easier on the wallet. Chanel, Dior and YSL have long been go-to names at the beauty counter that it’s easy to forget that until the past few years they were among only a handful of designers with beauty lines.
Brit juggernaut Burberry launched its beauty line in 2010 with Tom Ford following suit in 2011. And with those launches, the tides seem to be turning. This beauty industry trend is picking up serious steam for fall. You can now add four more names to the list: Michael Kors has an exclusive beauty launch at Macy’s; Tory Burch and Michelle Obama’s go-to designer Jason Wu will be beautifying ladies just in time for Fashion Week and Marc Jacobs has hit Sephora’s glossy black-and-white stores with a full range of cosmetics.
Michael Kors Sexy, Sporty, Glam
Previously, Michael Kors released a capsule collection with Estée Lauder called Very Hollywood, which also happens to be one of his most popular fragrances. He’s parlayed that limited edition release into not just one collection of beauty, but three separate offerings. Playing off the woman that he dresses every season, his beauty line — which will be sold exclusively at Macy’s — is divided into Sporty, Sexy and Glam.
The makeup on offer includes three separate fragrances and distinct color palettes for each woman. The Sexy siren will be outfitted in bold pinks and reds while Sporty gals will have softer neutrals for her look. Of course, after dark Glam means vampy shades and full-on makeup. Each selection also has a unique fragrance, and all of the items are housed in sleek gold packaging bearing Kors’ signature plaque.
There’s also a Kors skincare line in the collection, which includes bath products and Liquitan Self Tanner, a product that purports a perfect tan in an hour (Kors swears he uses on himself) as well as an after-sun gelée which will infuse skin with a mega-dose of moisture after being kissed — or scorned — by sun exposure.
Jason Wu for Lancôme
Jason Wu
Lancôme has teamed with a few of the fashion world’s biggest names, such as L’Wren Scott and Chris Benz, but the brand’s Jason Wu collection will send both beauty junkies and fashion fanatics (and probably a First Lady or two) into a frenzy. Wu hasn’t just had a hand in creating two eyeshadow palettes — they were first featured on models during the designer’s runway show last spring — he even added his touch to the makeup’s packaging. Wu switched out Lancôme’s signature glossy packaging for his signature dove gray and items in the collection are housed in unique lace slipcovers when you open the boxes. Unlike the recent whimsical Lanvin collab, Wu’s collection is all about sophistication. Without a cartoon or doodle in sight, the collection, which debuts at Nordstrom stores online and at Bergdorf Goodman during New York Fashion Week, is a grown-up take on the beauty.
Like Wu’s clothes, the makeup is a twist on the familiar. Wu’s mascara is in Lancôme’s most popular formula, Difinicils, but it’s in a shade of navy that’s more subtle than black and brings out the whites of your eyes. Wu’s red lipstick comes with matching polish, a concept that seems dated, but Wu insists the idea of matching hues on tips and lips is new again. And as for expanding? Wu isn’t a designer known for doing anything halfway, so when (not if) he debuts a full range of makeup, we’re sure it’ll be First Lady approved.
Tory Burch Beauty
Also releasing in time for Fashion Week, Tory Burch is making her debut in the beauty world with a small collection of her essentials. In addition to her brand’s first eponymous fragrance, which includes notes from her father’s favorite cologne combined with pink pepper, neroli, and tuberose, she’s offering her loyal fans a tightly edited selection of makeup and skincare. Her first collection is housed in the same orange found in her namesake boutiques embellished with her signature T logo and gold detailing. A nude lipstick, retractable brush, bronzing palette and a multitask cheek and lip tint will easily find their place in chic makeup bags, from Manhattan to Montecito.
Don’t expect a full-fledged counter devoted to color cosmetics in your local Tory boutique just yet. “Less is more,” the designer told WWD. “My mom, who’s in her late 70s, when she doesn’t wear makeup or just a little bit, she looks so beautiful.”
The whole collection, which encompasses lotions, bath products and a new candle, will be ready for pre-order September 6th and make its full roll-out to Bloomingdale’s stores, Holt Renfrew locations and Tory Burch boutiques September 26th.
Marc Jacobs Beauty
We’ve already shared a sneak peek at Marc Jacobs’ first foray into beauty, but since our preview, the line’s been rolled out to Sephora stores and the brand’s Web site. Sephora’s launch included a preview, too, allowing shoppers to snag a few key items before the line’s full launch. The result? Almost immediate sell-throughs, naturally. Jacobs doesn’t do anything small, so it’s no surprise that shoppers snatched up as much as they could as fast as they could. In addition to Sephora stores, Jacobs transitioned one of his accessories boutiques in New York into a beauty studio, where the full line is on display now complete with Sephora U-trained artists who will help you decipher the line’s pun-laden names and try the innovative formulations for yourself. An edited selection of beauty products has also landed at a few other Marc Jacobs boutiques, including Boston, so don’t be surprised if the future holds beauty buys along with bags, shoes and more at Jacobs’ namesake stores.
Images courtesy Sephora, Michael Kors and Lancôme
