Duro Olowu, the Nigerian-born
British fashion designer, has
translated his brilliant sense of
colour into a make-up line for
Estée Lauder. “Estée Lauder, the woman,
was a visionary, and the brand is pioneering,”
says Olowu. “Initially the collaboration was
only going to be packaging, but then
Lauder loved the colours and moodboards
and it turned into this collection.”
More than just a good working
relationship, this was a meeting of minds:
“I’ve always had a beauty aspect to my work,
and it’s a very important part of what I do
creatively,” says Olowu. Having grown up
surrounded by strong, confident women,
he has an innate understanding of how
women want to look: “Whether you’re
going out in a full make-up look or just a
sweep of blush, my hope is that women
will feel confident however they
decide to wear these products.”
The line-up consists of two
palettes, two lipsticks and two
eyeliners, split into two distinct
looks: cool urban tones; and warm
pinks and bronzes. But the idea is
that you can mix and match
them all to be as bold or as
pared-back as you like. Even
the brightest colours apply
sheer but have buildable intensity
for versatile application. “My aesthetic
is about mixing things that wouldn’t
normally be mixed together,” says
Olowu. “The idea is that the woman
who wears this make-up looks like
herself, but also who she wants to be.
She’s worldly, cosmopolitan and
international. The collection is
representative of all types of beauty –
it’s a global approach. That’s what we
wanted to create.” nMixing and matching
shades from this collection
makes for an iconic look.
Kimono, £1,480. Dress,
£1,700. Both Duro Olowu.
Vintage earrings, from
a selection, Pilgrim New
York. Moonstone rings,
price on request, Lady
Grey. Gold-plated band,
from £120, Queenie Cao
Jewelry. Lemon-quartz
ring, price on request,
Onirikka. Citrine ring,
from £640, Mondo Mondo.
Hair: Ward. Make-up:
Kabuki. Nails: Jin Soon
Choi. Fashion editor:
Stella Greenspan.
Model: Anok YaiAbove, from top: Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil
in Onyx, £19. Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks in
Carnal and Rebellious Rose, £27 each. A vibrant shade
from the 8 Pan Sculpting Eyeshadow Palette in Night,
£43. 8 Pan Sculpting Eyeshadow Palette in Day, £43.
All Estée Lauder x Duro Olowu CollectionIN GOODC O M PA N YThe power of collaboration?
When fashion and beauty collide,
good things can happen,
discovers Jessica Diner.
Photograph by Richard BurbridgePIXELATE.BIZ08-19-BTY-EsteeLauder-Duro.indd 102 04/06/2019 16:29