Beauty Beauty
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Jonathan Saunders BE AUT Y spring/summer 2012 Chrome ART ince the advent of Japanese three, five and seven years of age, I would cry heavyweight beauty house Acclaimed kimono designer and wonder why I couldn’t wear one too,” she Shu Uemura’s collaborations Mamechiyo and Japanese recalls. Mamechiyo says that she dreamed of with famous international becoming an apprentice geisha, or maiko— artists in 2004, the brand beauty brand Shu Uemura the inspiration for her name—when she was has worked with fashion come together to celebrate a child. Then, she says, “seeing and touching powerhouses like Tsumori antique kimono, my imagination started to Chisato and Viktor & kimono à la mode. grow,” eventually leading to her eponymous Rolf, putting their work on its most iconic, By Koh Chuin Ying brand. To this day, her source of inspiration bestselling products. Most recently, the when designing comes from when she Sbrand teamed up with Hong Kong film pursuit of the notion of “art meets beauty,” “[thinks] about the history—where the director Wong Kar Wai to develop a virtually the foundation—and driving philosophy— kimono was born—and the craftsmen; what cinematic makeup collection, featuring of Shu Uemura the brand ever since Mr Shu kind of people wore this type of kimono.” scenes from Mask, a short film produced Uemura the man posited decades ago when Though Mamechiyo finds her inspiration by Wong exclusively for the brand, on each he started the company that “art is a way of in the past, she explains the longevity of her product’s packaging. life.” “I imagine life as a kind of time-limited work and its relevance in the present-day Shu Uemura continues its artist art,” says Mamechiyo, “using the body and market: “What I create is a fusion of the past, collaborations, this time with Mamechiyo, emotions and all its senses to experience a certain era, with nowadays. What can be a kimono artist who has dominated the emotion—joy, anger, sadness and humour.” called classic now was very innovative when high-fashion kimono market in Japan with Mamechiyo’s chosen profession of it first appeared. So in 10-years time, I will her contemporary playful patterns extracted designing kimono—truly an innate talent— [fuse] the now into my kimono designs.” and reinterpreted from traditional kimono can be traced back to when the designer was Translating her creations into the craftsmen’s work. “I was very much inspired a young girl growing up in Kanda, Tokyo. traditional robes is an arduous process. by the brand’s philosophy,” says Mamechiyo “For some reason, I was a child fond of Despite having “no difficulty in creating in an exclusive interview with BAZAAR, kimono. When my sister was dressing in new designs,” Mamechiyo laments that it is referring to the beauty house’s relentless kimono for the traditional festivals held at hard to turn her ideas into products when 224 HARPER’S BAZAAR APRIL 2012 S MAMECHIYO’ EssENTIALS Depsea Water in there are limitations, such as cost. With the Depsea Water (which she Rosemist, $39, Shu Uemura kimono prices circling the thousands, she keeps in her office), and the expresses “hope that the younger generation makeup brushes. She gushes will get huge enjoyment from dressing in about the cleansing oil’s ability kimono.” So perhaps this collaboration with to “blend well into the skin” and Shu Uemura comes at an opportune time its effectiveness in “[removing] when fashionistas in Japan and around the makeup [while being] gentle to the world will sit up and pay attention to her skin.” And the numbers don’t lie: one artworks. bottle of cleansing oil is sold every 15 The limited-edition collection is visually seconds across the world. captivating from the first glance, featuring So how much creative direction did butterflies and flowers in psychedelic the designer have in the project, and in UV Under colours like lime and fuchsia on emblematic deciding which products her designs Base Mousse SPF30 cleansing oil bottles and mousse cans. The would be used on? Mamechiyo takes PA+++, $78, oils, considered one of the brand’s bestselling full responsibility for—and pride—in the Shu Uemura products since Mr Shu Uemura introduced collection’s aesthetic appeal. “I imagined the first oil-based cleanser to Japan in 1967, concretely a human character and story to come in four variations, correspond with the each formulated to address products’ characteristics. Whitefficient “I imagine life as a Clear different skincare needs. I came up with the Brightening The High Performance coordination and Gentle kind of time-limited Cleansing Oil, Balancing Cleansing Oil designed the motifs Natural 14H Brush, $58 for 150ml, Advanced Formula—in art, using the body of kimono for the $53, Shu Uemura Shu Uemura a yellow bottle featuring packaging.” Challenging a wisteria print—caters and emotions and the equally dynamic effect now under her belt—her first dating back to to all skin conditions, all its senses to that using minimalistic 2006 when she designed the brand’s store’s keeping skin hydrated palettes like black or grey ceiling in Boston, featuring an installation and petal soft. The Fresh experience emotion— can have on her designs, of acrylic butterflies under the theme of Pore Clarifying Gentle Mamechiyo argues for “metamorphosis”—one cannot rule out just Cleansing Oil in a cherry joy, anger, sadness the sensibility of the where we may next find Mamechiyo’s blossom pink targets pore and humour.” fleurs du printemps, inspiring designs. “I have a daughter, problems and is infused stating that, “makeup is so I’d like to do something with a delicate sakura scent. The Cleansing something that is used every morning, so I related to children. I dream Beauty Oil Premium A/O Advanced aimed to create something that brings cheer of creating a Japanese Flower shots of Formula, inspired by peonies, or botan, and joy to the user’s day.” fantasy picture book Mamechiyo's addresses aging concerns. Last but not least With regard to her upcoming year’s plans, in which the main kimono designs is the plum blossom-designed Whitefficient the artist shares her thoughts: “In order to character always wears Clear Brightening Gentle Cleansing Oil, pursue knowledge on how kimono as art can kimono.” ■ which takes care of whitening concerns. be borderless, I plan to work on a kimono- Shu Uemura’s Mamechiyo Not forgetting makeup enthusiasts, styling photo book in Europe.” With her collection will be Shu Uemura puts its revolutionary UV second collaboration with Shu Uemura available from April under base mousses through a dramatic transformation, veering away from the original all-white packaging to reveal a multi- coloured lineup of cans. Corresponding to the same flowers used on the cleansing oil bottles, the UV under base mousses come in four versions. The yellow, pink and green offer ultra-light beige, pale rose and BB W O beige tones, respectively, while the purple, er ND in a “whitefficient brightening” form, offers A X le a “light pink purple” shade. Adding to the M, A entire collection is the newly packaged ha NG foundation compact case that incarnates the I ideal feminine woman with its interpretation N CUNN of the season’s blooms. ea Y: S Y: Coincidentally, Mamechiyo mentions raph both the cleansing oil and the UV under base From left: Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O Advanced Formula, $155; mousse as two of her favourite products, in Fresh Pore Clarifying Gentle Cleansing Oil, $138; High Performance OTOG Balancing Cleansing Oil Advanced Formula, $138; Whitefficient Clear H P addition to the brand’s other iconic product, Brightening Gentle Cleansing Oil, $155, Shu Uemura HARPER’S BAZAAR APRIL 2012 225.