Niche swedish perfumery house Byredo was founded on the idea of the creative possibilities of scent. While the minimalist packaging and stark labels of each bottle are pleasingly uniform, the perfumes inside and their respective scent names are inspired by founder Ben Gorham’s exotic travels. When it came to expanding Byredo’s offerings to include makeup, Gorham was keen on what he deemed an “innovative, vibrant and emotional approach to colour.”
Enter Isamaya Ffrench, the British wunderkind responsible for such iconic makeup looks as Rihanna’s British Vogue cover in September 2018. Gorham wanted to collaborate with the artist, because of the way she pushes the boundaries between artistry and makeup with her daring and unconventional creations. “I’m a true believer in not telling people how to wear perfume. And Isamaya and I were in agreement that this Byredo makeup [range] would not be dictating in that manner either. It wasn’t about selling a look. It was about selling a series of tools to help people express themselves through colour,” says Gorham.
True to its ethos of not selling a look, even the campaign image for this makeup launch is not what you might typically expect — a famous face peddling a specific set of colours. Instead, Ffrench commissioned digital artist Jesse Kanda to create an almost alien-like image that reinforced the idea that this makeup line is not for any one specific person, but for anyone, while still emphasising human emotion in its purest form.
This story is from the September 2020 edition of T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2020 edition of T Singapore: The New York Times Style Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Look At Us
As public memorials face a public reckoning, there’s still too little thought paid to how women are represented — as bodies and as selves.
Two New Jewellery Collections Find Their Inspiration In The Human Anatomy
Two new jewellery collections find their inspiration in the human anatomy.
She For She
We speak to three women in Singapore who are trying to improve the lives of women — and all other gender identities — through their work.
Over The Rainbow
How the bright colours and lively prints created by illustrator Donald Robertson brought the latest Weekend Max Mara Flutterflies capsule collection to life.
What Is Love?
The artist Hank Willis Thomas discusses his partnership with the Japanese fashion label Sacai and the idea of fashion in the context of the art world.
The Luxury Hotel For New Mums
Singapore’s first luxury confinement facility, Kai Suites, aims to provide much more than plush beds and 24-hour infant care: It wants to help mothers with their mental and emotional wellbeing as well.
Who Gets To Eat?
As recent food movements have focused on buying local or organic, a deeper and different conversation is happening among America’s food activists: one that demands not just better meals for everyone but a dismantling of the structures that have failed to nourish us all along.
Reimagining The Future Of Fashion
What do women want from their clothes and accessories, and does luxury still have a place in this post-pandemic era? The iconic designer Alber Elbaz thinks he has the answers with his new label, AZ Factory.
A Holiday At Home
Once seen as the less exciting alternative to an exotic destination holiday, the staycation takes on new importance.
All Dressed Up, Nowhere To Go
Chinese supermodel He Sui talks about the unseen pressures of being an international star, being a trailblazer for East Asian models in the fashion world, and why, at the end of the day, she is content with being known as just a regular girl from Wenzhou.
