MAKEUP MAESTRO

Beauty founder, photographer and makeup genius François Nars speaks about his new film, which documents his career highlights, inspiration and supermodel muses.

- Sally Hunwick

If you were you to ask a makeup artist for their dream career, they could well choose that of François Nars. His story has been one brimming with success, supermodels, iconic photographers, glossy magazines and designer brands.

Even if you don’t know the man, you will certainly know his makeup. Starting with a collection of 12 lipsticks that the French-born Nars sold to Barneys New York in 1994, the Nars brand has grown to become arguably one of the most influential cosmetics companies in the world. Now, to celebrate the brand’s 30-year anniversary, Nars has released the documentary film Unknown Beauty: François Nars.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland and narrated by Academy Award nominee Charlotte Rampling, the film is a fascinating montage of the inner workings of Nars’ mind. Part biographical journey of his career and part lesson in filmology, it oscillates between images taken by Nars’ father, which depict the makeup artist enjoying his childhood in the Pyrenees and summers in Biarritz, and clips from more than 50 films spanning decades.