Beauty & The Brand

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Brand Ethos

I wanted to begin researching the brand ethos, values and main consumer aim. I feel this will give me a broader view of Nars cosmetics company as a whole and allow me to really understand the brand to enable me to create looks for 'future add campaigns'.

Mission statement-

''At the heart of NARS Cosmetics is François Nars’ mission to empower women to experiment and have fun with makeup by teaching them how to enhance their natural beauty and individual characteristics. The philosophy is iconoclastic: François believes there are no rules when it comes to beauty.

NARS has the ability to be many things to many people: a stylish accessory, a guilty pleasure, or a makeup wardrobe staple, but it’s a certain allure imparted by François Nars that makes NARS a state of mind and a lifestyle brand for the future.''

Facebook, (2015). NARS Cosmetics. [online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/narscosmetics/info?tab=page_info [Accessed 23 Jan. 2015].

From the text quotes below by Nars i have pulled key words i feel match to the brand. This instantly gives me a visual of the brand.

Colour, Play, Balance, Sexy, Every Women, Film Inspired, Empowering, Rule breaking.

''It was important to me that the Nars line was balanced between very neutral and basic shades and brighter, bolder colours. I want to offer women a choice. There are ways of wearing bright shades in a subtle way. You can use black or brown to tone down brights, or use pastels such as pale corals, apricot, lavenders that look great with a brown eye shadow. You get a touch of colour without it being overwhelming. With bolder colour, you can use a strong black liner. It’s all a question of balance, though – if you use bold colour on one area of the face, you simplify or tone down the rest. It’s not a whole look – few people can get away with that. But any woman can wear colour without looking as though, as we say in France, she fell over in a makeup box.''

This is the main definition of NARS 'colour' they encourage the use and playful nature of using colour within makeup and yes even within an everyday look. You only have to look at there advertisement campaigns to instantly realise what a knack NARS has to mix, contrast and compliment the colours in both the makeup and composition in a way that the every day woman can relate to and aspire to be like.

S/S 2012 Campaign

''Sexy is very important in our brand. Because makeup is a sexy thing, like beautiful jewellery, great shoes, a sexy bag. But, ideally for us, not in an obvious way. I don’t want it to be cheap or vulgar because I think there are many ways to be sexy. A woman in a man’s suit can be extremely sexy, like Charlotte Rampling in our Audacious lipstick campaign. I don’t associate sexy with vulgarity. This shot is obviously very inspired by the work of Helmut Newton – super-sexy makeup with thick, heavy bangs and so on. Very 1970s French Vogue.''

These quotes are interesting to me they show a whole rounded view of the brand right from the aim of the brand how they want women to feel sexy in an empowering way down to the exploration of colour used within there products. There explanation of 'sexy' i think shows a lot about where the brand see's its self in the cosmetic market there not 'cheap or vulgar' but are able to represent women in a very to me feminist view of sexy ' a woman in a mans suit' as a brand there encouraging woman to experiment and be strong and confident with makeup intern creating beautiful 'sexy' but strong women, i key element within all there advertisement campaigns i can say is portrayed a strong and in there own way sexy women.

Holiday 2010.

''I think the movies are probably my biggest influence. Movies and places – so many shade names have been influenced by my travelling and by movies because I’m such a film freak. Movies and actors I love have featured many times in Nars collections and imagery, so many of my lipsticks have been named after movies. Garbo and Dietrich, those were the two women that I was always fascinated to look at because the movies at the time were like a total fantasy – the lighting, the clothing, the makeup, it was like a surreal universe and really built up my love for photography, for lighting.''

Spring 2010, Amber Valletta as Catherine Deneuve,

References:
Hughes, S. (2014). François Nars: 'There are many ways to be sexy'. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/nov/13/francois-nars-makeup-artist-sexy-models [Accessed 25 Jan. 2015].
Facebook, (2015). NARS Cosmetics. [online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/narscosmetics/info?tab=page_info [Accessed 23 Jan. 2015].

Images:
Hughes, S. (2014). François Nars: 'There are many ways to be sexy'. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/nov/13/francois-nars-makeup-artist-sexy-models [Accessed 25 Jan. 2015].

Past & Present Faces of Nars.

''In general I like faces that are a little bit odd, not a little cute nose and heart lips that are a bit plastic and Barbie doll. As much as sometimes I guess it could be fun to photograph a Barbie doll, in general it’s not what I’m attracted to. Women with character, bone structure, a strong nose. I love character in the face.''

-Francois Nars

Hughes, S. (2014). François Nars

Francois Nars is renounced of his unconventional choice of models features within his add campaigns. Nars being one of the first to use black and minority ethnic women in commercial beauty campaigns. Nars challenges and expands constantly beauty ideals and standards within the industry.

''I felt that makeup was universal and should apply to everybody. I didn’t want to create a makeup line for one ethnic group, it had to be multi-ethnic. To me, beauty is beauty. It doesn’t matter to me what colour the skin is. Back then, no one would have dared put Alek Wek in a beauty campaign, but I thought she looked so amazing, so beautiful, that as soon as I saw her I said: “I want her to be a Nars girl.” I was probably the only one who would have done that at the time. I suppose it was quite daring then, but I will continue to do it, always.''

-Francois Nars

Hughes, S. (2014). François Nars

This will be an important part within the dissuasion of choosing my own models for the final shoots, its important that as a brand they represent every majority and minority and i think this is important to remember, Francois Nars was a strong believer in the fact that makeup was universal and there fore should apply to everybody, unlike other brands who picture the same pretty prefect women within there advertisements Nars deviates from the unspoken high fashion beauty rule and this is another key point to the brand.

1999/2000
One of the first black women to feature in a commercial beauty campaign, this challenged and pushed the expectations and general rule within the beauty industry. I love how Francois Nars kept the look very neutral really playing with the key point the skin tone deviating away from his usual love of bright colour he has played and exaggerated the skin tone within both the lip and eye looks making very successful images.

1997

Erin O'Connor another unique model featured in the 1997 X-Ray Campaign.

''I love Erin. I loved her profile, her modernity, her haircut. She has one of the greatest noses and the longest neck and you always remember her.''

-Francois Nars

Hughes, S. (2014). François Nars

''We started working with talented models in the way they did in the 60s. It was a more creative, less conventional view of beauty.''

2014
Fall Audacious Lipstick Collection campaign as part of the company’s 20th anniversary, featuring a portrait of British actress Charlotte Rampling that François Nars took.

-Martin, C. (2015). Nars Unveils Fall Campaign.

2015

The latest face of Nars Spring 2015 (January to April) campaign is Tilda Swinton. Nars choosing 50 plus Tilda because of the film roles she choses. He photographed the images in a way that each one would show a different characterisation of Tilda in relation also to the character behind each makeup collection.

“As an actress, she brings such strong personality to the camera,

And as a woman, she lives the experience of transformation and expression.”

-Naughton, J. (2015). Nars Taps Tilda Swinton for Spring Campaign.

Its very clear though looking at Francois Nars model choices though out the past decade that he is draw to extraordinary beauty, wether that be within the structure of a models face, skin tone, personality and talent or feel he gets from the model when in front of the camera. Nars pushes the conventions of what society depicts as standard beauty ideals and by showing these extraordinary strong beautiful women of any age within his campaigns he appeals to every women race, age, sex and overall look proving that any women can look beautiful.

References:

Hughes, S. (2014). François Nars: 'There are many ways to be sexy'. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2014/nov/13/francois-nars-makeup-artist-sexy-models [Accessed 25 Jan. 2015].

Naughton, J. (2015). Nars Taps Tilda Swinton for Spring Campaign. [online] WWD. Available at: http://www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/nars-taps-tilda-swinton-7986392 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015].

Martin, C. (2015). Nars Unveils Fall Campaign. [online] WWD. Available at: http://wwd2.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/the-big-shot-7820460?src=rss/fashion-memopad/20140801 [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015].

Images:

Anon, (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/156781630750938245/ [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015].

Anon, (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/240379698836387226/ [Accessed 29 Jan. 2015].

Narscosmetics.co.uk, (2015). François Nars. [online] Available at: https://narscosmetics.co.uk/en_GB/francois-nars.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2015].

Sunday, 25 January 2015

Francois Nars.

Narscosmetics.co.uk, (2015). François Nars. [online] Available at: https://narscosmetics.co.uk/en_GB/francois-nars.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2015].

I wanted to begin with my research on the creative director and founder of NARS cosmetics, Francois Nars. Having gown up in the south of France he was obsessed by European and Hollywood cinema and reading his mothers Vogue religiously. With his love of makeup and photography he went on to train at the Cartia School, beauty school in Paris.

''Francois Nars’ rapid ascent in the fashion world reflected talent, hard work, and uncommon vision. His approach to makeup was and still is revolutionary: to use makeup to explore the depths and nuances of individual character. Designers like Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, and Versace admired his ability to create iconic looks, both highly theatrical and ultra-natural, that engaged in compelling dialogue with their designers.''*

Moving to New York in 1984 his frustration with the lack of products available for professional makeup artists, in 1994 he launched a 12 piece highly pigmented essential lipstick colour range in Barney's New York under the Shiseido umbrella.

''The collection immediately captured the imagination of women with its brilliantly designed packaging and rich color palette.''*

In 1996 Francois Nars began advertising the brand photographing all the campaigns himself since Francois has published four books on his photography discovering his passion and talent within this area. He shoots his campaigns with the same visionary as his makeup philosophy.

''his photographs are elevated, modern, and classically beautiful, his embrace of strong, unique faces and ethnic diversity has helped transform industry standards, by challenging and expanding traditional definitions of beauty.''*

*Creative Exchange Agency, (2015). Creative Exchange Agency. [online] Available at: http://www.creativeexchangeagency.com/artists/photography/fran-ois-nars/bio [Accessed 25 Jan. 2015].

In 2000 Francois Nars sold his company to Shiseido remaining an essential driver of the NARS brand and continues to collaborate on design of the packaging, advertising and stand alone stores. Francois brought a private island Motu Tane off the coast of Tahiti he has spent the past 10 years with drawn form the fashion world photographing his own island the images are celebrated for their vibrant interplay with colour and form. In 2009 he returned to created the look for good friend Marc Jacobs A/W Catwalk show.

Mail Online, (2013). Make-up artist Francois Nars opens up his private island in new book. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2449878/Make-artist-Francois-Nars-opens-French-Polynesia-island-new-book.html [Accessed 25 Jan. 2015].

Sunday, 18 January 2015

NARS (Christmas Study)

About

NARS cosmetics was founded by Makeup Artist and Photography Francois Nars, the cosmetic and skin care line began with 12 lipsticks in Barney's New York, having been working within the Fashion industry as a Makeup Artist his aim was to use makeup to explore the depths of the individual having worked with Photographers such as Steve Meisel he became frustrated with the lack of Makeup Product out there. In 1996 Francois began Photographing the advertisements himself.

The Brand becoming well known for their provocative naming of the products such as 'Orgasm','Strip Tease' and 'Sex Machine' to name a few the blusher 'Orgasm' being the companies best selling product.

NARS now sells a wide range of cosmetic products, Skin care range, Nail Varnishes, Makeup Brushes and candles all sold in a sleek professional black and logo packaging.

MUA's Working with NARS

Val Garland is often seen working for NARS backstage at many Fashion Week shows including most recently the Erdem SS15 being the lead artist.