LIVING IN LUXURY

We’ve never been more spoilt for choice when it comes to skincare products. But the crème de la crème of luxury skincare, La Prairie, is rising to the top of the pack, as consumers realise the importance of investing in their skin.

We’ve never been more spoilt for choice when it comes to skincare – but luxury products are having their moment in the sun as consumers begin to realise the importance of investing in their skin.

Given the plethora of affordable skincare that’s available these days, forking out $655 – that’s the going price of La Prairie’s top- selling Skin Caviar Luxe Cream – might seem like an extravagance afforded to a special few. But Rosi Fernandez, managing director of La Prairie Australia and New Zealand, says that actually, business is booming.

“Twenty years ago, it wasn’t considered the norm to invest in your skin,” Fernandez explains. Back then, skincare wasn’t top of the agenda – particularly Down Under. But today, thanks to globalisation, the internet and the unprecedented availability of information, we’re all so much more educated on the importance of skincare. Indeed, taking care of our skin has become a priority. “There’s been a real shift and a focus on understanding the importance of skin,” states Fernandez. “People are realising [their] skin is important – it’s going to be with you for life. And with that, we’re seeing investment.”

Even though we have had more choice in terms of skincare, sales for this luxury house are skyrocketing around the globe. “We’re doing exceptionally well all over the world – but Australia and New Zealand have been leading the way,” says Fernandez. “If you look at consumption per capita, we’re really punching above our weight.”

La Prairie ended 2018 as the number- one beauty brand in the top retailers in both Australia and

New Zealand. Fernandez, who has been with La Prairie for 22 years, says that receiving this ranking in both countries at the same time is one of the greatest milestones she has been involved in. “It’s a moment where we all take a bow; it’s a testament to everyone’s hard work,” she states. Having her team recognised as one of the most engaged La Prairie teams internationally, in the results of Gallup’s annual Employee Engagement survey, comes in at a very close second.

When asked to what she attributes the ongoing La Prairie success story, it would be so easy for Fernandez to rattle off a long marketing spiel about groundbreaking skincare science that is guaranteed to give users the skin of a 20-year- old. But instead, she is quick to talk about the people that surround her on a day-to- day basis. She’s unabashedly proud of her team, and wants to ensure they all receive the recognition they deserve.

Luxury, Fernandez says, is all about personalisation: “It’s a one-toone business.” And it’s her staff, busy ensuring that La Prairie lives up to this expectation, that Fernandez credits with the brand’s local success. “We have a magnificent brand,” she says, “but it’s the people and the culture we have created that make all the difference.”

Over the past two decades, Fernandez says that she has done almost every role imaginable within the company. And as she’s worked her way up to the top job – which she has been in for about seven years now – there’s been no pulling the ladder up behind herself. “We’ve created a culture of exceptional people that stay with the brand,” Fernandez says. “It’s been important to hire people that are smarter than me and help them succeed.”

If Fernandez’s attitude is characteristic of La Prairie’s work culture, it’s easy to see why people stick around at the company. Women in upper management are somewhat of a rarity, even within the beauty industry – but Fernandez isn’t the power-suited, hard- edged extrovert you might expect to occupy such a role. Rather, she’s affable, down-toearth, and a self- confessed introvert.

“Women get on and do the job. And other women recognise this – but there are not enough women in management to pull others up.” This is why Fernandez has made it a focus of hers to implement change that helps to support other women.

Recently, Fernandez was appointed to the board of directors for Look Good Feel Better – and it’s a role that she’s very much looking forward to taking on. The charity, which is completely funded by the cosmetic industry, is dedicated to empowering and improving the selfesteem of people undergoing cancer treatment. Fernandez says that the power feeling good about yourself has on your overall wellbeing should not be underestimated. “When you feel better about yourself, you heal better,” she says.

THE POWER OF THE PRODUCT

So what is it about the La Prairie product that skin enthusiasts are willing to fork out for? “We have an exceptional product,” says Fernandez. “You can’t trick Australians and New Zealanders. You need the science, you need the proof.” She says there’s no waffly promise that you’ll wake up wrinkle-free the next day. “We have a breadth of scientifically advanced, research-developed products that treat different concerns,” she explains.

While La Prairie doesn’t promise miracles, Fernandez says that it does deliver healthy, resilient skin – no matter what the consumer’s age.

“We don’t target a specific age group, we talk to people who want the best from the skincare,” she says. “You can have a 20-year-old who has already done a lot of damage to their skin, and you can have 60-year- olds who have amazing skin because they’ve really looked after it.” At the end of the day, Fernandez says it’s all about skin age and the quality of the skin.

The trick, of course, is getting as many samples as possible into people’s hands. “Once they try it they can tell,” she states. “There’s the texture, the jar, the way it makes you feel, the results on the skin, the way you feel when you wake up the next morning.”

Fernandez recounts a story of being at a dinner party and being asked how on earth La Prairie can charge so much for a moisturiser. “I always ask, ‘have you tried it?’ The answer’s always no – so I send them samples. And I always follow them up and ask what they think,” she says. After using the products, it’s like the penny has dropped, states Fernandez. They suddenly get what all the fuss is about. At the end of the day, your skin is going to be with you forever, and it is an investment. “Who are we to judge what people invest in? Great skin makes you feel fabulous.”

“People are realising their skin is important – it’s with you for life.” ROSI FERNANDEZ