INTRODUCTION
Where beauty and couture align
How does one translate the culture of couture into beauty? How do you interpret the voluminous texture of a sleeve, or capture the visual impact of a brightly-coloured evening gown in a makeup palette? This is what Valentino Beauty has strived to achieve with the debut of its versatile, runway-inspired makeup line.
“Beauty and fashion are in a constant and symbiotic evolution,” says Valentino Beauty Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli, the mind behind both Valentino’s couture and beauty collections.
After taking over as Creative Director in 2016, Piccioli, who worked under Founder Valentino Garavani since 1999, has brought a distinctively new vision to the famed Italian house, one built on inclusivity and individuality. He says, “The work we are doing in Valentino is guided by the values we trust in, we moved from an aesthetic built on exclusivity to an inclusive one, we grew from a two-dimensional vision of beauty to a three dimensional one, where emotions, dreams and individuality are as important, if not more, as any other feature.”
Piccioli gave Valentino’s strong fashion heritage a modern sense, combining haute couture craftsmanship with street culture aesthetics, and juxtaposing bold silhouettes with even bolder colours. Just as Piccioli gave the house of Valentino a new colourful identity, today Valentino Beauty has revealed a new look for the brand in makeup, which is the core of this special report. In 2018, L’Oréal Group and Valentino signed a long-term, worldwide licence agreement for the Maison’s cosmetics and fragrance lines, marking a new chapter in the house’s beauty journey. The deal is a testament to L’Oréal Group’s belief in the legacy of the Valentino brand, and the talents of its daring new creative director.
In 2019, the partners revealed ‘Born in Roma’ a duo of masculine and feminine fragrances that celebrated Piccioli’s distinctive Roman heritage and distinctive ‘Aristopunk’ style. The year after, the partners revealed ‘Voce Viva’, once again breaking boundaries by exploring the shared language of voice and scent. Voce Viva recruited Lady Gaga as its face, a fitting muse for the musically-inspired scent. Today, Valentino Beauty is once again breaking boundaries with the launch of its debut makeup line. The colour cosmetics range, a first for the Maison, offers makeup for a new generation, who have done away with traditional notions of gender, titles or boundaries. Valentino Beauty Makeup is a collection where fashion, beauty and art converge.
In this Spotlight Series eZine, we tell the story of Valentino Beauty and how it celebrates individuality in all its forms. We also shine the light on the unique energy Valentino Beauty Makeup Campaign. The striking campaign features a diverse cast of talented individuals, each telling a different story. They filleach frame with Piccioli’s dynamic shapes and colours, whether that be through the pop of a Valentino Rosso lipstick shade, the click of a Go-Clutch bag, or the swish of carefully crafted couture dress. We trust you enjoy this special publication that celebrates how a compelling partnership has found thrilling voice in Valentino Beauty Makeup.
Hannah Tan-Gillies, Brands Editor & Digital Marketing Manager, The Moodie Davitt Report
