PARIS — What happens when Guerlain and Pucci collaborate on a limited-edition capsule of makeup products? A riot of contrasting color — and creativity.
The LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned houses’ project, due out in August, came about organically. It includes reformulated Rouge G lipsticks, Météorites and Terracotta products dressed up in Pucci’s iconic Marmo print.
Guerlain first approached the Italian fashion brand.
“Immediately, I thought there’s no question or doubt — it’s for us,” said Camille Miceli, artistic director of Pucci, who explained it made great sense for the brand to create makeup hues — since colors are so important for the label — and to push boundaries.
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Gabrielle Saint-Genis Rodriguez, chief executive officer of Guerlain, said Miceli’s arrival at Pucci in 2021 has injected a lot of energy, joy, boldness and edginess into the brand, so the connection was made naturally.
Miceli had never before worked on color cosmetics but has worn Guerlain’s Terracotta for years. She has, however, created packaging.
“I love to do things that look like an object and have a second use,” Miceli said.
“Violette immediately embraced the idea of going quite far in terms of colors that are unusual,” said Miceli, referring to Violette Serrat, Guerlain’s creative makeup director.
Saint-Genis Rodriguez described Guerlain as Parisian, having a point of view on fashion, elegance, modernity and tradition, which Serrat embodies and the makeup expresses.
Guerlain teamed with Pucci once before on color cosmetics, in 2012. These tie-ins can help recruit new, and often younger, consumers. “It’s a way to talk about the brand from a different angle,” Saint-Genis Rodriguez said.
Serrat loves collaborations among brands. “It’s a way to tell a different story,” she said. “It’s like a marriage. You go into somebody else’s world, get to have your own vision of it — and vice versa. There are so many interesting things that can come out if it.
“Also, I love working with another creative who is the designer of another brand,” she continued. “It’s almost like a tango, where you let them lead at some point, then you lead.”
But that is not about power or ego, said Serrat, explaining it’s more about discovering one another, and working freely.
“Then you get very much inspired,” she added. “It’s one of my favorite things. It’s a great opportunity on an artistic level, and also on a business level, because you get to get new customers or take your customers somewhere else. It’s very interesting to work on that.”
Serrat wanted to ensure Miceli could express Pucci and her vision in beauty.
“Sometimes working with people that are not connected to beauty actually brings something modern,” she continued.
The creative process was free of constraints.
“My goal there was really to make sure that things could be wearable,” said Serrat, calling Pucci iconic.
“I’ve always been mesmerized by how they are able to keep telling the story with the same print basically, the Marmo print,” she said. “It’s like this mystery recipe that just works.”
“The Marmo print for me celebrates the psychedelic side of Pucci,” Miceli said.
For the capsule are two new Rouge G lipsticks, which come in plum with a satin finish and matte red with a velvet finish, and can be used alone or together. These set the collection’s tempo and will help introduce the recently reformulated Rouge G line, which was enriched with lip care active ingredients, such as lily oleo-extract.
It has “no nasties,” Saint-Genis Rodriguez said. “We are obsessed by natural formulation.” That’s true for sustainable ingredient sourcing, too.
Miceli and Serrat’s focus was simultaneously on product packaging.
“To see all the Marmo details everywhere got me so excited,” Serrat said.
Miceli was impressed by Guerlain’s technical prowess.
The Ombres G eye shadow quad, called 045 Marmo Vibe, was developed with four new matte shades, including orange, violet, black and white. Its golden case features the Marmo motif.
That also spangles the packaging of the Terracotta Marmo Sun bronzing powder, in three shades, with a fabric zip pouch. It’s decorated, as well, with two gold-colored fish pendants, representing Pucci’s logo.
Météorites’ bestseller, 02 Rosé, and the Marmo Swirl brush, with the Guerlain logo, have Marmo-patterned holders.
“They become an object,” Miceli said.
Rounding out the collection is the Parure Gold Cushion Marmo Glow foundation. Prices range from 42 euros for a lipstick refill to 98 euros for the bronzing powder.
Each reference will have up to 20,000 pieces, and the capsule is to be available for three months.
Both Serrat and Miceli wanted the campaign, photographed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch, to feature Natalia Vodianova, Guerlain international ambassador. “She’s been an icon for Guerlain. I really like working with her,” Serrat said. “She’s such a professional.”
“I love her and think she’s an amazing woman,” enthused Miceli.
“The whole campaign is a collaboration of three women — having fun and being creative with their own craft,” Serrat continued.
The capsule will first be sold in a pop-up at Japan’s Isetan on Aug. 15. The worldwide launch in select doors, including Guerlain boutiques and guerlain.com, and Pucci boutiques and pucci.com, follows on Aug. 26.
Guerlain’s key makeup market today is Europe, especially France, Italy and Spain.
“Météorites is a big success in Asia, in particular Japan and [South] Korea,” Saint-Genis Rodriguez said. Parure Gold is a bestseller in China and the rest of Asia, she added.
Guerlain recently launched Kisskiss Bee Glow Oil for lips, which sold out globally after one month.
The brand is no stranger to collaborations. Recent tie-ins have included with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Foundation, the Maison Matisse and Lee Ufan Arles, for the Art & Environment prize.
“Art and a connection with artists are ways to question yourself, to think [broadly], and elevate the level of your thoughts and creation,” said Saint-Genis Rodriguez, noting Guerlain is almost 200 years old.
“Because we have this long-term history, we like to create bridges between generations, cultures and artists,” she said.