50 Shades of Valentino
The growing world of luxury brand beauty just found its next star, and this one most definitely does red
Hot on the heels of Hermès and the introduction of its game-changing lipstick collection last year, the house of Valentino is starting its own beauty line with a launch that has kept the fashion world bright-eyed with excitement since it was announced in April. While Gucci Beauty keeps things Gucci with its retro-kitsch, grandma’s-attic aesthetic, and Dolce & Gabbana Beauty’s packaging nods to the Italian label’s bold prints, the new Valentino Beauty designs stay true to house codes with red lacquered packaging marked with a V. (This is, after all, a designer so closely associated with the colour, he started a second brand called Red Valentino.)
It’s a hefty collection, featuring 50 lipstick shades under the label Rosso Valentino (there are multiple shades of red, of course), experimental eye make-up and an inclusive spectrum of 40 foundation shades. According to Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, “Beauty is democratic. I look at the identity of each individual, the uniqueness that encloses diversity and inclusivity. Beauty is about grace.”
And gracing Valentino’s inaugural campaign is a diverse assembly of 16 models representing different races and genders, sporting out-there make-up looks to remind us that at the end of the day, make-up should be about fun, artful expression.