A brand builder by trade, often unorthodox but always brilliant, Julian Kynaston launched Propaganda several years ago and was most famously responsible for turning the GHD into a household name. When he approached professional makeup icons Kryolan with a pitch to create a super-strain of their makeup – professional but street savvy – it became a match made in heaven and the birth of Ilamasqua – makeup for your alter ego – occurred. Reported as the fastest selling makeup brand in Selfridges, London they are the ones to watch he explains.
Q. How and why did Propaganda come about?
I was never really into school. It wasn’t that I was thick just too bright to bother learning anything! I was however fascinated with youth culture, trends, fashion logos etc and saw the thrill in saving up to buy that branded t-shirt as a youth. I have never been shy in admitting I adore brands and brand loyalty to the point where I had a superstition about wearing a specific Comme des Garçons shirt to meetings. I entered the agency world and when starting my own company made the decision not to hire traditional marketers or agency staff. I wanted a team who had experience working on the client side with brand who understood consumers, not a bunch of agency staff trying to second guess what consumers wanted. I have always put consumers at the heart of our work was never smitten by load of writers and creators sat in a room, disengaged from a brand, brainstorming possibilities. I listened to the users/consumers and worked closely alongside them testing and pre-tested products. We polished this approach off to a fine art when the guys walked into the agency with a ceramic styling iron which after we were done with it was to become known as the GHD. It changed the electrical hair goods market in an irreversible way. When GHD became too big and it became about boardrooms and big investors I sopped enjoying it and looked to our next project.
Q. How did Illamasqua come about?
I was initially nervous about entering the makeup industry, it was traditionally a no go area which included professional brands with 25 or so years of history until M.A.C came along and took the world by storm. We had neither the history nor the enviable reputation but we knew how to build brands and there isn’t that much magic to it in this day and age with the onset of social media and consumer ability to research a brand in-depth online.
With Illamasqua you peel away all the layers and at end of the day you get truth – it works and gives the consumer the ability to create the looks they want.
I shopped every brand and trawled every store, speaking to hundreds of makeup counter assistants all of whom used the term “professional” when referring to their brand and when I asked them why their brand was professional I didn’t get a single answer worth listening to. Some would tell me the guy or girl who owned the brand was a makeup artist etc but that wasn’t enough for me to warrant calling it professional.
I started my research and went back to 1920s Berlin theatres when makeup first went professional. In order for our makeup brand to be called professional it would need to withstand the rigour of such conditions and deliver longevity while also performing impeccably so those at the back of the stage wore makeup that was as vivid as the front. A few names came up during my research but the one who stood out for longevity, performance, quality and reputation was Kryolan who had produced makeup for film, TV and stage work for many years. When I went to visit them it became very apparent they were high street in any way. So I asked them if they would be prepared to work with us by taking their heritage and understanding of makeup and create a super strain of their makeup which was to become Illamasqua.
Iconic makeup artist Alex Box came on board and we all sat in a room and started creating the brand. It took two years to develop and what emerged was a very modern thought combined with 80 plus years of Kryolan’s heritage and experience in the makeup market. The range as a whole is something we want people to engage with on an emotional level. During the research phase I asked hundreds or women I knew and met professional to empty their makeup bags and I noticed that no single brand dominated. What I saw was dozens of hero products such as Yves Saint Lauren’s Touche Éclat and a classic Chanel lippy. What I wanted to do was create a range where people wanted exclusively or dominantly Illamasqua products.
Q. How successful has Illamasqua been to date?
We have achieved early success with Selfridges, Oxford Street, London recording the highest unit sales per transaction for a brand on the beauty floor. So it suggests people aren’t just buying the one Illamasqua hero product because the entire range is a hero, all the products perform outstandingly well. We want people to engage with our makeup on an emotional level because we have a mission to make women and men wear bolder, brighter and more daring makeup that truly expresses their individuality rather than a more traditional brand would give them permission to do. We also want to smash the myth that men can’t wear makeup. From the dawn of time and right up until last two world wars, men have been wearing makeup and it has was viewed as incredibly macho and not remotely feminine. It was worn unapologetically and was as much as part of male dressing as dressing itself. We are incredibly proud that people discover their alter egos with Illamasqua. In London we are creating a revolution similar to the new romantic or pink era where you can spot people wearing Illamasqua makeup.
Q. What role does Alex Box play?
Alex Box came on board early on after falling in love with our mission of self expression and the alter ego which she felt was totally in tune with her ideas. Lots of designers would book her purely because of the outstanding and vivid makeup looks in her book but when she came along on the day they would ask her to do a very safe look which was frustrating. So we shared a spiritual connection and pushed each other to reach new heights of inspiration. Our campaigns are one of a kind, thanks to Alex’s vision. Our latest – Toxic Nature – pushes the norm even further. We don’t expect people to re-create the looks in toto but they can take inspiration and things from each look which is what the club kids have done in the UK – we are there to inspire and not direct.
Q. Any plans for education?
We have launched our own school of makeup art and plan to roll out across the country and internationally. We offer technical courses, night-time diva courses, mannequin courses, you name it – we like to mix it up. By making it fun but putting professionalism at its heart we are putting artistry back on the table.
Q. What does the future hold for Illamasqua?
We are reportedly the fastest growing makeup brand on record. We have only been selling products Selfridges, London for under two years and are also in 50 Sephora outlets throughout the US. We are the number one colour brand in Bloomingdales in Dubai and alongside our one store in UK; we have ten counters in department stores. In Australia we are based in Myer and we believe we picked a prime time to arrive. People wanted more from a market that was product-centric and predictable. WE are also launching a fragrance with a capsule collection based on our “night-time” ethos of the alter-ego coming out at night and it will include extracts form three flowers that only come out at night, none of which have been used in fragrance before. This will also be reflected in the capsule collection where the colours of these flowers will be incorporated sp the fragrance interacts with the makeup.
Contact: Illamasqua 1800 661 210 .