HAVE YOURSELF A VERY KIEHL’S CHRISTMAS American a ist Andrew Bannecker talks about the holiday season, and the creative process for the Kiehl’s Holiday 2018 collection

KIEHL’S CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

KIEHL’S LONG PARTNERSHIP with some of the world’s most renowned and cutting edge artists, such as Jeff Koons, KAWS, Kenny Scharf, Peter Max, Jeremyville, and the legendary Mickey, has led up to the year’s unparalleled creative collaboration with Andrew Bannecker for the brand’s much anticipated Holiday 2018 collection.

Best known for his use of vivid colours, and hand-crafted drips and textures, Bannecker’s range of bubbly characters and sophisticated landscapes is translated onto the limited edition packaging of Kiehl’s bestselling and beloved products.

The 10 special editions include: the lighttextured daily facial hydrator Ultra Facial Cream, which provides 24-hour hydration with continuous water replenishment throughout the day; the gentle, alcohol-free Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner, derived from the Marigold flower to immediately leave facial skin feeling smooth, fresh and invigorated; the top selling Midnight Recovery Concentrate, a replenishing elixir of pure essential oils and distilled botanicals to visibly restore the appearance of skin by morning; and the festive Holiday Bar Soaps that gently yet effectively exfoliates to remove dead surface skin cells without over drying, with their apricot seed exfoliation in scents of coriander, grapefruit and lavender.

The Kiehl’s x Andrew Bannecker Holiday 2018 collection also includes customisable gift sets for patrons who wish to personalise their holiday gifting with the Kiehl’s products of their choice. A custom giftwrapping service with Limited Edition Kiehl’s x Andrew Bannecker gift boxes are available at Kiehl’s freestanding stores worldwide and select specialty retailers.

What do the holidays mean to you?

Family is everything to me, so the holidays are a special time for me, a time of true togetherness. I’m such a homebody, and it just wouldn’t be the holidays, unless I went home to be with my family. I have two young children ‒ Olivia is seven, and Noah is four; they are my world, and any free

time, especially during the holiday season, I have I spend with them. So much so that my work references where I am in my life: when I’m happy, my work tends to be bright and fun, and when I’m down, it tends to get dark. I’m constantly being inspired. Whether it’s from another artist, or a finger painting from my children, inspiration always seems to sneak in.

Tell us all about the creative process that goes into the Kiehl’s x Andrew Bannecker Holiday 2018 collection.

Personally, I think that this collaboration was written in the stars for us; I feel our sensibilities are truly aligned, and even more so when I worked with the Kiehl’s creative team; they were the best I’ve ever collaborated with, and the creative freedom was a gift when everyone brought such brilliance to the project.

Since the holiday season is my favourite, I was super excited to start the collection. I was on a train with my sketchbook, and I started to draw traditional holiday shapes. I started with the playful, and tried to create a look that would stand out and engage. With that, I love to add bits of detail that when you see it, it makes you smile. As I kept drawing, the fine mix of patterns, characters and vivid colours began to turn into these little characters, and once I had a few of these together, their world just burst into life naturally.

I’ve always loved to create, to go from nothing to something - it feels a bit like magic. Pair that with Kiehl’s as an iconic brand with a long history of being unique and playful… I’m glad that I’ve been given the chance to help tell the brand’s story, create my own magic for Kiehl’s, if you may.

What’s your first memory of Kiehl’s?

I can’t remember exactly where I was, but I do remember walking by a Kiehl’s store, and doing a double take at the beauty of the interior inside.

What about a favourite Kiehl’s product?

My favorite Kiehl’s product is the Age Defender Cleanser, with the Midnight Recovery Eye coming in a close second.

What is your holiday wish?

I wish that everyone will experience a bit of magic this holiday season, hopefully, through the Kiehl’s x Andrew Bannecker Holiday 2018 collection! AM

“I’VE ALWAYS LOVED TO CREATE, TO GO FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING - IT FEELS A BIT LIKE MAGIC”