Extravagant and off-kilter: this is the first makeup line from stylist Alber Elbaz, at the head of Lanvin for 10 years, made in collaboration with Lancôme.
“Alber Elbaz is without a doubt one of the most influential fashion designers in the world. But more than that, he’s the most talented.” It’s with these words that Youcef Nabi, president of Lancôme, described this designer who is just as famous for having turned the rules of femininity upside down as for his bowtie that he sports like a second skin. Alber Elbaz has had a special relationship with the French cosmetics brand for a long time now. “Each time that I walked by Lancôme in New York, I stopped to buy a present for my mother.” he confides. These two luxury giants were made for each other.
This makeup line is for the eyes: mascaras, eyeshadows, and false eyelashes will make up the majority, all wrapped up in exuberantly saucy packaging. Lancôme’s four classic mascaras will be also be reworked and corrected by the famed couturier, Hypnôse Classique, Hypnôse Doll Eyes, Star, and Drama all sparkle in their cases dressed up with stars, hearts, polka dots, and charming winky eyes.
Ever the perfectionist, the designer wanted to celebrate this collaboration in his own way. In a glamorous and humorous animated film called “Hypnôse Show”, Alber Elbaz put together all the effervescence of a Parisian runway. The lights dim before the models’ entrance, reflecting off of the eyes and curled lashes of an attentive public. Like an ode to Lancôme’s iconic product, this mascara, this motley cartoon sums up the style and craziness of Alber Elbaz. “Our job is to tell stories, everything starts there. Everything starts with these tubes of mascara, all curvy and round. I right away saw women’s bodies in them. It was a bit like Cinderella and her carriage, this idea of metamorphosis, a fairy tale,” he resumes.
Available June 15th, the collection Alber Elbaz X Lancôme imagined by the man who “thinks of women that he loves, that he knows, or that he would like to meet” to find inspiration should make many a woman happy.
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