Clé de Peau continues their streak of beautiful and inspired holiday collections.  This year's theme, Kimono Dream, is an homage to two venerable Japanese art forms:  the kimono and bijin-ga ("pictures of beautiful women").  Obviously a deep dive into the history of both of these is way beyond this blog post, but as usual I'll provide a condensed version.  First, let's take a look at the collection itself.

Each piece is packaged in a sturdy paper sleeve.  Remove the sleeve, and the package opens to reveal a bijin-ga painting featuring a woman wearing a kimono. The intricate folding is reminiscent of how the traditional kimono is held in place with an obi, the decorative sash worn around the waist, as well as tatou, the folded paper used to wrap and store silk kimonos to protect them from humidity.  The patterns on the sleeves are inspired by obi patterns as well.  The unfolding aspect of the packaging is gorgeous and highlights traditional Japanese art, but it's also perfect for the theme Clé de Peau wanted to express, which was revealing women's inner beauty.  Each painting represents one of four traits: passion, strength, charm and gentleness.

It's a bit contrived, but I appreciate that Clé de Peau took the time to align the products with the traits they wanted to convey and write little descriptions for each.  Here's the one for the lipsticks, which symbolize passion.  "Intense. Dynamic. Instantly revealing the passion within. Represented by plum, and evergreens pine and bamboo, against bright red silk. Despite your elegant façade, the force of your passion is unmistakable. A signal of powerful emotion that can’t be concealed."

The eyeshadow quad was my favorite piece - I loved the striking black kimono shown on the woman contrasted with the delicate embossing on the shadows.  "Strong, essential, with a flash of feminine red. Peonies and daffodils bloom in the snow, showing determination and vitality. A woman at one with her inner strength. Noble, dignified, the plum tree signifies resilience. You look outward at the world, through confident eyes."

Next is the face powder, signifying charm.  "Evoking prettiness and innocence. Symbolized by the peacefulness of wisteria and chrysanthemum against soft salmon-pink. Inspired by the simplicity of flowers, you rest sweetly in softness."

Finally we have the face oil, which embodies gentleness.  "Your open, unbounded heart. Fresh blue silk accented with vermillion and soft pink. The serenity of a goldfish in water. Cooling, refreshing, harmonious. Surrounded by gentleness, you are wholly embraced."

There was also a matte liquid lip color, but that didn't seem to be included in the four traits.  Nevertheless it is stunning and the packaging was different than the others so I had to include it!

I couldn't resist sharing the embossing on the outer boxes.  Such a nice little touch.

Now here's where the real history and collaborations come in.  First up is the kimono Clé de Peau commissioned exclusively for the holiday collection.  Fortunately for me (less work, haha!) the company did a fantastic job explaining the partnership and kimono-making process.  "The kimono commissioned by Clé de Peau Beauté, created in collaboration with Tachibana, an embroidery and dyeing studio in Kyoto that plays a role in preserving kimono culture.¹ Crafted using a valuable dyeing technique called Surigata-Yuzen, which uses dozens of stencils to dye different patterns, layering one color over another. Since Tachibana’s foundation in 1947, its colorful works have been captivating kimono fans. Founder Zenzo Sodesaki (born in 1911) learned the basics of making kimono at Chiso, a traditional Japanese textile producer and one of the oldest yuzen coloring companies in Kyoto.  Current representative Yohei Kawai is the third generation, following Zenzo Sodesaki and second generation president, Kenichi Kawai."  The red and pink colors were chosen specifically to match Clé de Peau's two holiday lipstick shades.

After the pattern is determined and sketched, it's time to stencil.  The Clé de Peau kimono used a particular technique called Surigata-Yuzen.   I'll let Clé de Peau describe the process in a nutshell.  "The Surigata-Yuzen method uses dozens of stencils to dye patterns onto kimono silk, layering one color over another to produce a gradation. Every gradation is done by hand, adding another layer to the painstaking art of the kimono...For each color, dyeing is repeated in different tones, the layers achieving a complex and extraordinary beauty."  A whopping 34 stencils were used for Clé de Peau's kimono. 

Tachibana's bowtie website provided a little more insight into the process.  "Dedicated professionals hand-carve patterns to create the stencils, which were at one time made simply of layered paper but are now mixed with resin to give them strength. Hoshi-awase, the positioning of the stencils, is one of the most important parts of the dyeing process. All of the stencils in a given pattern have small holes called hoshi. By aligning the hoshi of each stencil at the exact same place, dozens of stencils can be positioned on the fabric with great accuracy. Senshoku is the process of dyeing a pattern on fabric using brushes with colors. Various-sized brushes are used according to the size of a pattern. Once part of the fabric is dyed, a stencil is moved to the next place on the fabric. Stencils are accurately aligned using the hoshi holes. Pattern dyeing is followed by a process called noribuse, in which the whole pattern is covered with rice glue before dyeing with ground colors."

To be honest, I'm still confused as to how surigata-yuzen differs from other forms of yuzen techniques.  This website seems to insinuate that surigata-yuzen is unique to Kyoto, therefore a subset of kyo-yuzen, but I'm really not sure.

Next, the entire kimono was hand-dyed with a brush via a process called Hikizome.  Hikizome is used not just for kimonos but can be applied to all kinds of textiles - pillows, curtains, towels, etc. I believe this is true for yuzen as well, but once again I'm not certain.

The last step is to wait for the dye to dry in its own good time.  According to Clé de Peau, "To make a kimono is to live by the laws of nature.  So as not to alter the natural drying process, temperature condition is maintained the same throughout the year.  The fate of the color finish is in the hands of nature, as the outcome is never the same."  This aspect of the process fascinates me, especially for the Clé de Peau collection.  The company wanted very specific colors that perfectly matched their two lipstick shades, so given that the drying is left to nature, how could they know for sure the color would turn out the way they wanted?

(images from cledepeau-beaute.com)

Overall, this is another winner from Clé de Peau.  The intricacy of the packaging echoes the labor involved in the traditional kimono-making process, while the paintings serve as an updated version of a centuries-old artistic genre - it's a perfect marriage of old and new.  I admired that for this collection, instead of doing a straight-up artist collaboration as in years past, (nothing wrong with those, of course!) they honored waning cultural traditions to raise awareness and educate people, a concept perhaps borrowed from Sulwhasoo's Shine Classic compacts.  Finally, I loved all the details:  the folding of the packaging, the fact that the paintings were on the inside to represent inner beauty, dyeing the kimono the same colors as the lipsticks, even the embossing on the boxes all came together to form a cohesive collection.  I must congratulate the design team, as every last detail served a purpose.  They were stunning, sure, but they also weren't superfluous - every single one contributed to the theme.  I will say I'm scratching my head as to the whereabouts of Clé de Peau Creative Director Lucia Pieroni, as she doesn't seem to be as involved with this collection as in previous years, but the collection itself turned out beautifully.

What do you think of this collection?  Which painting was your favorite?

¹For further reading on the history and cultural meanings of the kimono I'd recommend Kimono:  A Modern History. 

² This author points out that while they were euphemistically labeled as "courtesans", the prostitutes depicted in early bijin-ga had rather tragic lives. "Often the images were published with the prostitutes' names. Such prints were usually commissioned by high-ranking oiran as a kind of advertising posters. In today's print descriptions by ukiyo-e dealers or auction houses, the women shown on bijin prints are usually named 'courtesans'. The life for these 'courtesans' was not so beautiful. They were kept like slaves in these licensed quarters."  Yikes.

Over the past few years I've really been enjoying Clé de Peau's artist collaborations for their holiday collections.  They select artists with very different styles but ones that somehow always do an amazing job representing the brand's vision and aesthetic.  This year the company partnered with Italian surrealist illustrator Daria Petrilli, who, as you will see, is as mysterious as her dreamlike artwork. 

According to this interview with the Shiseido team responsible for the collection, Clé de Peau's makeup director Lucia Pieroni selected an Alice in Wonderland theme, or a "winter fairyland" per the translation of the French "féeries d'hiver".  Consisting of pale pinks and greys contrasting with bold berry and a dash of soft shimmer, the color scheme is meant to evoke a winter tea party in an English garden.  It was packaging designer Kaori Nagata who suggested collaborating with Petrilli and who translated her beautiful illustrations to equally gorgeous boxes and palette cases.  Simply put, the team was "mesmerized by [Petrilli's] talent."  They were also searching for an artist who could elevate a theme usually intended for children and create a grown-up version of Wonderland to match the style (and price tag) of a high-end line.  As Shiseido rep Saiko Kawahara notes, "Brands of low to mid price range create many products that are 'adorable,' but I think that is precisely why it is necessary to add some refinement, such as 'a grown-up joke' or 'spicy playfulness,' when a prestige brand attempts to create an 'adorable' product."  Indeed, while Disney-fied versions of Alice worked well on mid-end brands like Beyond, Paul & Joe and Urban Decay, I don't think they'd be appropriate for Clé de Peau.  And I don't mean that in a snooty way either - that style just wouldn't be a good fit for the brand.

Now let's get to the goodies!  I picked up the eye shadow quad, pressed powder, stick highlighter, and one of the lipsticks.  I think the colors for the makeup itself are lovely, but what really blew me away is the mix of aqua, light pink and fuchsia with hints of coral and deep wine throughout the packaging.

The playing card embossing is a stroke of genius.

I adore all the packaging, but the white rabbit peeking out of the box for the powder highlighter and the woman's rosy cheeks and chic dark lips on the outer case are possibly my favorites out of the collection.

I'm also very fond of this flower lady, as she embodies the talking/singing flower garden Alice encounters.  (That was my favorite scene when I was little!)

In addition to the key, checkerboard and playing card motifs, the names for each product were also carefully chosen to align with the Alice theme.  This lipstick, for example, is called Paint Me (the other is Follow Me), an homage to both painting the queen's roses red and the "eat me/drink me" signs in Lewis Carroll's classic book.  Meanwhile, the eyeshadow quad is named Tea Party, the pressed powder Pink Push Me, and the stick highlighter Light Me.  

The company even came up with an ad featuring a poem for each item.  The animations are looking a little Monty Python to me, but that's probably just because I've been re-watching it on Netflix the past few weeks.  It's still pretty cute.  

The moisturizer is the one piece I did not buy, as I couldn't justify the $535 (!) price tag for just the outer packaging.  Even if the jar itself was decorated I still couldn't have bought it - too rich for my blood.  Still, it's beautiful, and the keyhole cut out, along with the cut-outs on the other boxes, emphasize a connection to the entire Clé de Peau brand.  Says Ayumi Nishimoto, another member of Shiseido's creative team, "Not only does this tie in with the holiday concept ('open the door to the extraordinary'), it is also brilliantly linked to Clé de Peau Beauté’s tagline, 'unlock the power of your radiance.'"  Indeed, "clé" is French for key, so this detail creates complete cohesion across the holiday collection and Clé de Peau line.  Now that's what I call synergy!

Apologies for the lackluster photo, it was the only one I could find of the cutout.

The keys were also used on the skincare sets, none of which I purchased but still covet.  

Finally, there were some very nice gift boxes and bags featuring different images, which were offered with the purchase of any two items from the holiday collection at the Clé de Peau website.  Since I eagerly bought the collection as soon as it became available at Neiman Marcus (so I could use my store card and also get 10% cash back via Ebates), I missed this as well.  I might hunt for one on ebay.  

(images from cledepeau-beaute.com)

As for the worldwide marketing of the collection, both online and in-store advertising were simply dazzling.  The advertising and design team created a truly magical video where Petrilli's illustrations spring to life.  Unlike the ad above, this one features much more sophisticated animations and cutting-edge 360 degree technology so that the viewer feels totally immersed in Wonderland.  Nishimoto and fellow team member Satoko Tomizawa explain:  "As global campaigns are launched in various countries around the world, it is necessary to create something that is highly versatile and universal. This time, we took on a new challenge of making not just a campaign video, but also a 360-degree video that anyone, anywhere, can experience through their smartphones. Viewers can enjoy more of the wonderland that we have created.  While remaining respectful of Daria’s illustrations, we paid special attention to giving the campaign videos a sense of worldliness unique to 3D animation. We asked the production studio Shirogumi, Inc. to produce the CGI for the story of a rabbit jumping through keyholes and traveling through wonderland."  

Additionally, I must say the set up at their Omotesando Hills location in Tokyo was spectacular, rivaling the decor used for Kathe Fraga's breathtaking collection last year.  Tomizawa states that the collection theme allowed the company to show a more whimsical side of the brand and push the boundaries of not only packaging but also store design. "We created a spatial experience, where visitors could enter as the mysterious wonderland as if their bodies had shrunk small. Not only was the Clé de Peau Beauté Store in Omotesando Hills in holiday mode, but entire complex invited visitors to experience wonderland. Large banners hung from ceiling to the floor, blownup packaging made their appearances in the staircase, a mysterious tea party setting along with the 360-degree video was on display. It was the first time that the holiday collection was featured in such a large-scale event. Inspired by the packaging design, we were able to expand on many playful ideas for digital and spatial design. Through this wonderland we were able to show a more imaginative, playful side of the prestige brand."  I would have loved to visit this magical setup!

(images from shiseidogroup.com)

I was positively giddy when I heard the news that artist Kathe Fraga had been selected to collaborate with Clé de Peau for their holiday 2017 collection.  Kathe (yes, we're on a first-name basis!) is very talented in her own right, of course, and I knew she'd create a beautiful collection, but the other reason I was ecstatic was that she has kindly been following my ramblings for a few years, so I was very pleased to see a Museum supporter nab such a high-profile beauty collaboration.  Fortunately there was an abundance of information on how the collaboration came to be and Kathe also very nicely answered some other questions I had, so let's get to it!

A detailed entry at Kathe's blog explains the concept and process for the collection as envisioned by Clé de Peau's Creative Director Lucia Pieroni.  Pieroni wanted to do a love story/narrative entitled "Nuit de Chine" inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s  2015 China: Through The Looking Glass exhibition. Via email I asked Kathe for a few more details about the collection's theme and her role in helping it come to life.  She said:  "I believe that CPB Creative Director, Lucia Pieroni, discovered my work via social media.  As you know, she was very inspired by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, China: Through the Looking Glass. If you scroll through Lucia’s Insta account, you’ll see her 'wall' with a variety of different images that she used to guide and create the Nuit De Chine collection and love story-a number of my paintings and cards are on this mood board.  I discovered through Facebook, and a number of the designers that I’m FB friends with, that the NY exhibit was offering a catalog of the event. I ordered it and found out much later that Lucia had the same catalog-so we were on the same 'wavelength' even before we met!"  The collection took a year and a half (!) to produce.  Clé de Peau selected six original paintings for the collection, 4 of which appeared on the items (the others, I believe, were used for store displays/backdrops and PR materials.) 

The skincare set features Kathe's painting "Premonition".

"Distance" was chosen for the nail polish set.

I couldn't seem to find a larger version of this.

The eye pencil set shows "Encounter". 

"Passion" is the name of the painting that appears on the coffret.  Kathe also did pencil sketches of the embossing on the colors inside.

Here's "Nuit de Chine", which appeared on Clé de Peau store banners in Japan.

Kathe also painted some beautiful makeup pouches with 18kt gold at several launch events at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco and Dallas.  Sadly these were available for in-store customers only, so obviously I wasn't able to get my hands on one...but I would have loved to meet Kathe and have my initials hand-painted in gold!

Let's learn a little more about Kathe and her style.¹  She explains how her frequent childhood moves due to her father's Navy career influenced her signature fusion of art forms from all over the globe:  "Growing up, I had the opportunity to live in a variety of places that have influenced my inspiration and the direction of my art. From a young age, I have lived in South America, both coasts of the U.S. and in Europe. The stained glass and gilded interiors of old world Quito, the pinks and golds and pastels of Paris, the bright reds of Copenhagen, the easygoing style of beach towns in California and the buttoned up vibe of New York have all been a part of my direction. But there was one moment that had an enormous impact - when my father returned from an overseas trip to Japan. He surprised my mother with the most beautiful dark green silk kimono jacket with the most exquisite Chinoiserie patterns in bright orange, red, pink, blue - an unexpected pairing of hues and motifs and I was in love! It opened the door to the joy of combining lovely dense patterns and blocks of colors, which you’ll see in many of my paintings."  

Another point to consider is how modern and fresh these look.  Let's face it, florals can look stuffy and frumpy real fast which is one of the reasons I'm not usually drawn to them. But these are totally updated and contemporary - there's no mistaking them for some hideous floral pattern you'd find on a cheap sofa.  While their styles and mediums are completely different, Kathe's work reminds me a little bit of Olympia Le-Tan's in that they're both able to modernize things we normally associate with being outdated (in Le-Tan's case, embroidery).

One of the reasons I believe Clé de Peau tapped Kathe for this collection is their shared passion for bold hues and unexpected color pairings.  Pieroni wanted very rich shades suited for the holidays, and Kathe's unique color schemes fit the bill perfectly.  Her childhood travels as well as the abundance of nature surrounding her island home in the Pacific Northwest contribute to her love of color. "Color reacting to color is a big influence for me. It’s exciting, for example, to paint a bold wide swath of red and then layer it with bright orange and then add a subdued branch of soft little pink blossoms to create a surprising mix of modern and sweet small detail.  Nature inspires me. From the overwhelming beauty of the blooming Yoshino cherry trees at the University of Washington, to the multi-colored little forest mushrooms that spring up along our wooded trails in the fall, the colors of the Pacific Northwest are wonderful inspirations. (That green moss in our Island forests is the most spectacular green ever!) Our Island beaches, rich with oyster and clam and mussel shells, also hold hidden treasures."  I love the colors in all of her paintings, but I'm really struck by the orange, green, and red combined with the soft pink and purples in this one.

Another aspect of Kathe's work I adore is the slightly faded, worn look of some of her pieces, a quality that was inspired by her time in France.  "Liv­ing in France and expe­ri­enc­ing Europe and its beauty—old, decay­ing, historic—this mem­ory guides me every day in my color choices and how I like my paint­ings to appear worn and with a story—like they were plas­tered pan­els in an old French man­sion and had been cut away and pre­served just before the wreck­ing ball hit...My ‘French Wallpaper Series’ is all about color, texture, the love of old, the whispers from generations that came before, of relationships...I paint over some parts of my paintings to give a suggestion of a story that was being told but interrupted by another.  Have you ever lived in an old house that you’ve fixed up…perhaps a bedroom or the kitchen?  You take down a cabinet or pull down a window molding and then there, like treasure, like a voice from the past, you see a lovely old patterned wallpaper that’s been hiding till now.  It’s just magical. Who put it there? What was their life all about in this home? What was their story? I see my paintings as parts of a larger frescoed wall, taken from a place from long ago. That’s why flowers will run off the edges, or patterns will continue beyond the canvas."  The idea of archeological treasure being rediscovered and rescued for preservation is very appealing to the art historian in me.  What can I say?  I just appreciate old things and believe they need to be cared for somehow, even if they're worn and faded.  I believe the wear tells their history.

(images from kathefraga.com and instagram)

Combined with the modern style and rich colors, it's this storytelling ability that clinched the Clé de Peau collection. Lucia Pieroni wanted to share the journey of a couple in love, and fortunately most of the stories Kathe tells via her paintings center on themes of love.   As she says in the video below, "Everywhere I look, I see love stories...when I think about love, you'll see in a lot of my paintings, I never use a single animal.  I use deer and birds and butterflies, and typically they're always in a pair, because I think that tells a story of love and relationship and trust and color.  I don't think true love can ever fade, and I also believe it lasts over generations. I think when two people fall in love, maybe their story continues and they fall in love again and again and again."

As you might have guessed, I love this collection and was so happy to see Kathe's work on Clé de Peau's packaging.  While I've been impressed with Pieroni's careful selection of artists for previous Clé de Peau holiday collections, I think this one was the most inspired and most appropriate for both the brand and Pieroni's vision - there was really no better artist to make her ideas come to life.  For example, I enjoyed last year's collaboration with Ashley Longshore and admired how she shifted her style ever so slightly to fit the Clé de Peau aesthetic, but with this year's there was no modifying necessary.  Kathe's work was just a natural fit all around.  And on a personal level, Kathe genuinely seems like a nice person who has not only been supporting the Museum but has also been incredibly friendly and humble even though she's hugely successful - I so appreciate that she's not too "important" to follow me on social media and answer my inane questions.  She is one artist I'm not afraid to approach and for that I am grateful.

What do you think?  Oh, and if you'd like more of Kathe's lovely work, she has note cards and pillows available...but I'm still dreaming of owning this painting for my living room (despite the title, haha!).²

1 Kathe frequently refers to her work as "Chinoiserie-inspired".  While I don't think her work is culturally appropriative - I maintain that it's more of a mix of various artistic styles she's observed during her travels - I want to briefly note that the jury is still out as to whether Chinoiserie is a type of cultural appropriation, particularly as it applies to the decorative arts.  The aforementioned Met show that both Kathe and Lucia Pieroni were so inspired by had its share of critics.  And Chinoiserie's roots in the 17th century are certainly based on colonialism and "otherness", i.e. Westerners fetishizing so-called "exotic" cultures.  However, I believe in Kathe's case, her use of "Chinoiserie-inspired" is merely a descriptive phrase to help people understand her style and not actual Chinoiserie.  Obviously cultural appropriation is something I'm sensitive to and if I thought Kathe's work was appropriation I'd discuss it in full, but when I look at her paintings I see a unique take on the global art styles she appreciates, not a bland rip-off of various cultures that's oblivious to the actual history and meaning of their art or some idealized fantasy of places she's never been.

2 If I was going to buy any of Kathe's work it would obviously be one of the paintings she did for this collaboration, but Clé de Peau has purchased all the pieces for their headquarters in Japan.  :(

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Clé de Peau's holiday collection was one of those "order without thinking" kind of purchases for the Museum - as soon as I saw the elegant, Art Deco-inspired ladies on the packaging I knew it would be an excellent asset to the Museum's holdings.  New Orleans artist Ashley Longshore was responsible for these lovely designs.  In general, Longshore took her cue from Clé de Peau Creative Director Lucia Pieroni, who wanted to capture the feel of the women painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980). "When Clé de Peau Beauté approached me to create the packaging for the collection, I felt I had the opportunity to collaborate with both Lucia and Tamara. I think I brought a sense of modernity to the work that was truly my own yet noticeably inspired by the powerful, bold women who Tamara de Lempicka was known for painting," Longshore says.

The brush set is gorgeous, but I wasn't able to find the original artwork it came from.  This was the most similar piece I could find at the Clé de Peau website.  All of Longshore's original pieces are for sale, and each one has a little blurb explaining the artist's inspiration behind them. 

"I really wanted this piece to symbolize pure confidence and elegance, that’s why I used a peacock. The peacock is the most beautiful of all birds: confident and radiant."

"I wanted this painting to be simplistic and elegant and capture that spirit of art deco. Her profile is so elegant and demure. Her jewelry is the perfect statement to her beauty. The soft periwinkle blues and the gold is so sophisticated and radiant."

The lip glosses:

And the paintings.

"This woman symbolizes minimalist refined beauty - like that of a flower it doesn't have to try too hard. It blossoms and it is what is it is and we appreciate its beauty for what it is."

"Hummingbirds are very symbolic in my artwork because they move so quickly you have to enjoy every moment of their beauty and I created this panting to embody how we should appreciate every precious moment in our lives."

There was also this stunning face cream, which I did not purchase as it went for a cool $535, not to mention the artwork was only featured on the outer box and not on the jar itself.

But just for fun, here are the original paintings that appeared on the box.

"Ahhh! It took millions of years in the earth to create something that sparkles so much that we love so much I painted this because sometimes it takes time to find your inner beauty so for me this is how we appreciate our brilliance as women."

"As a woman the happiest of days is a day you feel confident, beautiful, elegant and are surrounded by jewels."

There were also these two paintings, but I don't think they appeared on any of the Clé de Peau packaging.

"This piece I really wanted to showcase elements of being a woman that are fun. Her jewelry, the illuminating gold leaf, the hummingbird representing the fleeting moments of our life, the jewels, the camellia. This piece was made to represent the height of femininity."

"The camellia is not just a symbol of Clé de Peau but for me it symbolized the height of what our beauty can be and as women we all want to be the bloomed moment and stay in that moment so for me this is the forever moment."

(images from cledepeaubeaute.com)

Naturally I was very curious to check out more of Longshore's work to see if the Clé de Peau pieces were in keeping with her aesthetic.  To my great surprise I found her other paintings far more brash and humorous than what we're seeing on the Clé de Peau collection.  Longshore classifies herself as a pop artist, and that comes across much clearer in her other work.  I think the Clé de Peau pieces (which were brand new commissions for the artist, so no recycling of previous work here) are most reminiscent of Longshore's Audrey series.  "Audrey represents the woman we all aspire to be...she is so elegant. So beautiful, so philanthropic, such a lady, that neck, that profile…I want that," she says.  “Eyes closed, Audrey, for me, radiates goodness. What a perfect template for the perfect woman. Her image is very comforting. She’s like my 'woobie.' The imagery is also about the many hats a woman wears. It’s amazing to be a woman in the United States today.”

While the above examples bear a good resemblance to the women on the Clé de Peau packaging, the other Audreys are more along Longshore's trademark pop art lines.  The series takes a turn for the wacky with a range of bizarre additions perched atop the icon's head: art-themed snowglobes, sea creatures, even Star Wars storm troopers.

She can make anything look good!

Indeed, I found most of Longshore's paintings to be funny, modern takes on the Pop Art tradition.  I think Warhol would have greatly admired this version of David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps, "Bat Van", or Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring as Wonder Woman.

I also love the rather irreverent, brazen attitude of these word-based paintings.  Speaking of words, another reason I became an instant fan of Longshore is her foul mouth, for which she is completely unapologetic.  If you check her Instagram (and you really should - not only do you get to see more of her work, she finds the weirdest, most hilarious online clips) I think nearly all of her photos have #fuckyeah as a hashtag, and she notes that "fuck is my fave word" right in her profile.

Literally LOL at this one.

While most of Longshore's work is fairly straightforward, I must say I was puzzled by a few of the other topics she takes on, namely trophy wives and status symbols.  While Longshore maintains that her paintings on these are good-natured fun and that she's not mocking those women or the general lifestyle of the 1% ("I love trophy wives, I mean, they’re the most beautiful women you’ve ever seen, they’re incredible. I often fantasize about what it would be like to be that, just a beautiful little flower that has to put your hand out for everything”) I feel her paintings tell a very different story. I had an entire section of this post trying to reconcile her words with her work, but ended up rambling for well over 1,000 words with no conclusion so I scrapped it.  Instead, I'll highlight the artist's business acumen, which ties into the Clé de Peau collection.

(images from ashleylongshore.com)

Not only is Longshore is gifted artistically, she's quite a shrewd businesswoman.  In addition to lucrative collabs with other companies like Anthropologie, Longshore harnesses the power of social media and regularly connects with clients online, eschewing traditional gallery sales.  "As an artist twenty years ago, sending paper work to galleries, thinking that the gallery was the only way to make it, knowing that right off the cuff I would have to give up 50% and praying to god that some snob could really tell clients about me and tell them about me in a way that was really accurate, felt wrong at the beginning of my career...Just running numbers through my head, it only made sense to self-represent, and here we go with the internet. Next thing you know we have Facebook, there is Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and all of these tools are free. They are free and so for me being able to connect with my clients in a world that is so visual and putting myself out there in that way where if someone likes it they can follow, if they don’t they can unfollow and on another level being able to freely explore on the internet was a game changer.”  In an interview with Elle, she explains further, "With social media, artists are letting people into the process of creation, and people love that...Artists just want to be loved and understood. Galleries are the ones that have made it elitist. Who wants to walk into a gallery in Chelsea and have some emaciated girl scowling at you through her black, horn-rimmed glasses? I certainly don't. When people come in my studio, I give them a smile and a glass of Veuve." While I see her point about larger cosmopolitan galleries I know that smaller, local places are in fact welcoming, and I personally would never drop thousands on a piece of art that I hadn't seen in person.*  But overall I admire her effort to democratize art and make it more accessible.  Longshore also started a project called Artgasm, which allows collectors to get a handmade, signed piece by the artist in exchange for a $500 yearly membership fee - considerably more affordable than the thousands her paintings go for.  "Let's say you could pay $2,500 and be a part of Jeff Koons' private art membership, and four times a year, you get something from Jeff Koons delivered to you, and it's signed by him. Do you think that would be cool? That is basically what I am doing. It's basically a way for me to work with other brands and a way for my collectors to get my custom pieces that are only going to go up in value," she states.  Finally, as I mentioned earlier, Longshore's original pieces are for sale at the Clé de Peau website.  I think this is one of the first times, if not the very first, I've seen an artist's work for sale directly alongside the makeup.  That's a pretty savvy move on her part.  And oh, how I'd love to have those paintings to display with the collection! A makeup museum curator can dream. :)

Just had to share of a picture of the artist - she is too fun not to!

What's next for the artist?  Besides a line of clutch purses and a book due out in February, on a grander scale, Longshore says she wants to help fellow artists.  "I would like to be one of the artists that empowers these artists, that eliminates the starving artists.  That I could help teach these artists how to utilise the magic and the gift that they’ve been given, to take images from their minds, put them on a canvas, or sculpture, and than to sell them, and have that money, and to use that money to travel, and learn, and to continue to put their their views and opinions out there.  My greatest achievement would be to help artists all over he world do that. I want there to be more rich artists.  I love that lawyers, doctors, and hedge funds and businessmen and all these people have all this wealth, but I can only imagine how beautiful the world would be if we had all these creative people that were just being showered with money because the universe loved what they were doing so much.  I want to help these artists figure out how to keep that money and repurpose it into being more creative. That would be my greatest legacy."  Ever the comedian, she adds, "I think I’ll be there when I have Thunder Pussy...[which is] gonna be my jet—my cherry-red jet—and it’s gonna have a cat with a lightning bolt on the back wing. And people will see Thunder Pussy, and they’ll go, ‘It’s her! She’s here!’ And then I’ll land, and I’ll be like the Oprah of the art world, and I’ll say, ‘Oh my little artist darlings!’ And I’ll teach them.”  Sounds great to me. 

Overall I thought this was a really well done collection.  Longshore is full of surprises - in looking at the Clé de Peau collection, I never would have guessed that the person responsible for such elegant designs is the same woman who put an octopus on Audrey Hepburn's head. ;)  While none of her usual humor and silliness showed through I think it's fitting that she opted for a more sophisticated vibe, which is what we expect from a brand like Clé de Peau.  You could still tell the art was unmistakeably Longshore's, and that's the cornerstone of a successful artist collab: modifying one's work to suit the brand while maintaining one's overall aesthetic.  As for Longshore herself, well, I'd love to hang out with her, given her larger-than-life personality and sense of humor.

Thoughts?

*Case in point: last year around this time the husband emailed me a picture of a painting he saw in a gallery and said he really wanted to buy it. I looked at it and was completely underwhelmed.  I didn't hate it but couldn't figure out why he thought it was so special.  So off to the gallery we went...and my mind was blown.  I couldn't believe how much better this piece was in person!  It almost didn't look like the same painting, it was THAT much better.  Sometimes art just doesn't translate to the digital realm - this is why physical galleries still have value in the Internet age.  I guess I'm biased too since we know someone who runs a gallery in town and I can tell you she's not deliberately trying to screw artists out of their money nor is she the least bit snooty!  Yes, the gallery gets a cut but they're certainly not out to bleed artists dry.

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Paul & Joe wasn't the only one who did a mask theme this holiday.  Clé de Peau's Le Bal Masqué also sought to capture the mystery and intrigue of the masquerade ball.  And in my opinion they did a much better job than Paul & Joe.  For their collection, Clé de Peau collaborated with jewelry designer Joji Kojima, who created four custom masks to appear on the collection packaging.  Each one has a corresponding personality, according to the designer:  "While I was designing the masks, the characters I had in mind were fictional and I do not wish to relate them to any specific existing individual. However, I can share about the characteristics of them. For Gemma, I see the owner as the Queen or main character at the ball who has a really strong personality. For Violetta, she is a free spirit who loves to fool around with men. As for Elena, she is someone who is very difficult to approach but refined and fun at the same time. Rosalie, is very special - she is very hard to grasp, beautiful and unpredictable."  Below are Gemma (coffret), Violetta (body powder), Elena (nail polishes) and Rosalie (face serum).  You know I love when a designer imagines a backstory for their creations.

(images from jojikojima.com)

I picked up the coffret and body powder.

The interior of the coffret box has a lovely peacock feather pattern to go with the feathers on the mask.

In terms of the process, each mask took two months of painstaking labor.

I can't say I was familiar with Jojima's work, but once I started digging I discovered that it's pretty awesome.  Jojima was born in California and started making jewelry at the age of 15.  He attended school in Tokyo, studying graphic design.  While still an undergrad he managed to get the attention of Lady Gaga, for whom he created the custom mask on the cover of her 2009 Fame Monster album.

In looking at his other work, I found it leaned fairly dark and macabre.  While strangely beautiful, I was a little confused as to why Clé de Peau wanted to team up with Jojima.

In looking at these talons and considering Jojima's connection to Lady Gaga, I was sure he was the one behind the lethal glove for American Horror Story: Hotel.  It wasn't him though, which I was pretty surprised about in looking at these.

(images from jojikojima.com)

Anyway, I never would have thought of this designer for a beauty collaboration.  However, I think he did an amazing job modifying his work to suit the theme of Venetian masquerade, which was selected in advance by Shiseido.  Jojima explains how the collaboration came about and how he adapted his usual aesthetic to fit beauty packaging. "The theme for this season's collection, Venetian Masquerade was decided by Shiseido. I met up with [Clé de Peau Creative Makeup Director] Lucia Pieroni who had already decided the colors for this collection. I then redesign the packaging with the idea of having odd and bold masks to bring out the whole theme. With my experience in jewellery design, I wanted to create something different, something quirky but beautiful at the same time...this project is very new and interesting from me as it is very different from what I have done previously. I have given everything which I wanted to show in this collection through the inspirations I get when I see the colors for this season. The theme was already decided by Lucia, therefore, I worked very closely with her to come up with something which fits the theme but at the same time represents my aggressive designs. It is a great process which working with Lucia, I have also learned more about the brand itself and the kind of concept which suits the brand."  In another interview, he adds, "The designs are not a diluted version of my work; it was a good opportunity to do something different. There was an active discussion and it is 100% what I wanted to convey...I knew that Shiseido was a top global company focused on beauty. When I talked to Clé de Peau’s design team, I was impressed how precise they were. For example, for the color red, they even went into the different percentage of red in the hue!  The collection is not meant to be a distinctive difference between my past and present work, but it’s my personal interpretation of something beautiful.”  Obviously, as a collector I was thrilled to get the inside scoop on how the collaboration process operated (and that there was actually an in-depth discussion between the designer and the cosmetics company, which is sometimes lacking in other collaborations) and also happy to see Jojima's acknowledgement that this was a new creative experience for him.  As for Pieroni, Venice is a frequent destination that inspired her to do something special to commemorate her 10 year-anniversary of joining Clé de Peau.  From Vanity Fair:  "In celebration of her 10th year with Clé de Peau as creative makeup director, Lucia Pieroni looked to Venice to create her coveted collection for this holiday. Having traveled to Venice on various work assignments throughout her artistic career, she remembers being mesmerized by the fabled scenery. 'I was always struck by the beautiful colors of this ancient city, how the light and water would reflect on the ornate buildings, like the Doge’s Palace and Piazza San Marco,' she says."  How she decided on a masquerade theme I'm not sure, but I think it was genius to select Jojima for it.  As I said, his work seems rather dark and I never would have thought to work with him on a beauty collection.  However, Pieroni was able to see his potential for a masquerade-themed collection, and Jojima, for his part, understood that it was an opportunity to do something different.  I liked that she took a chance on him and he delivered.  "I’ve always had one goal in life: to create something beautiful and strong that’s never been seen before," he says.  Mission accomplished.

What do you think?  I was toying with the idea of doing a smackdown between this collection and Paul & Joe's, but honestly, it wouldn't have been a fair fight!

As they did in 2013, Clé de Peau collaborated with an outside artist to create their holiday collection.  I was somewhat tempted by last year's collaboration but when I couldn't find any information on the artist they teamed up with I decided to skip purchasing anything.  This year, fortunately, Clé de Peau chose Swash London, a company with readily available information.  Plus I think the final product is prettier than last year's.  :)

The Beauté Céleste collection consists of a coffret which includes a palette and lipstick, a pressed powder compact, and a lip gloss trio.  I picked up the coffret and pressed powder (the latter was quite difficult to find.) 

First up is the coffret.

I liked that the inner part of the box lid continued the star pattern.

The palette comes with its own soft pouch.

I didn't take pictures of the mascara for obvious reasons but here's what the lipstick looks like.

Swash London is the official company name of design duo Sarah Swash and Toshio Yamanaka, who were responsible for the patterns found on Clé de Peau's holiday collection.  Founded in 2005, Swash began designing scarves and expanded to include a comprehensive line of women's wear a few years later.  Their illustrations have adorned the likes of Barneys, Le Bon Marche and other stores in Japan and France as well as London.  Fun fact:  the dog in the pattern is based on their beloved whippet Candy and is a motif in many of their designs.

What spurred me to purchase the (admittedly pricey) coffret, you ask?  I went to the Swash London site to see if the pattern was taken from one of their pieces, and indeed it was.  A modified, star-filled version of an original pattern from one of Swash's fall 2010 collection scarves appears on the Clé de Peau coffret.  I love the squirrel and wish he hadn't been dropped from the coffret design.

(images from swash.co.uk)

Here's the powder compact - it was quite a saga getting this into my hot little hands!   Since I don't live near a Clé de Peau counter I thought the easiest thing to do would be to order it online.  Much to my chagrin it never appeared at the Neiman Marcus website (where the coffret and lip gloss trio were available) or any other U.S. department store except for Nordstrom, where it sold out immediately. I know this because I was checking every other day.  I searched on a Monday and then again on Wednesday morning, and it popped up but said it was unavailable.  I was determined to track it down, however, and did a live chat during which the customer service rep informed me that a store in Hawaii still had one left.  I called and was able to snag it.  So long story short, the powder compact wasn't available in many places and mine had to travel over 3,000 miles to get to me.

When I purchased this compact I didn't know whether the pattern also was borrowed from an original Swash design; I just knew it was different from the coffret and so beautifully embossed on the powder itself that I had to get it.  Luckily the pattern on this also comes from another Swash scarf, this time from the 2011 spring collection.

(images from swash.co.uk) 

In looking at Swash's work, it reminds me a bit of Paul & Joe since the designers have an excellent eye for prints; however, I find their patterns to be far more intricate.  Since I'm not a big print person (or a scarf person, for that matter) I can't see myself wearing any of their items, so I like the fact that I can have one of their illustrations in makeup form.  And I think their designs hold up well by themselves just as patterns.  Some of my favorites:

(images from swash.co.uk)

Getting back to the Clé de Peau collection, I'm curious as to why they chose the patterns they did.  My guess is that those were the easiest ones to modify with a celestial background without losing the integrity of the original design.  Or maybe Swash just wanted to highlight some of their earlier work.  Whatever the case may be, I think it was well-suited to Clé de Peau's holiday theme. 

Your thoughts?

Part two of this year's Ghosts of Christmas Makeup Past is devoted to this gorgeous highlighter by Clé de Peau, released for the 2010 holiday season.

With flash:

The golden raised stripes look like rays of sunlight streaming down from the sky, and to my eye, have a very Art Deco feel to them.  For example, compare them to the ones on this mirror:

(image from treadwaygallery.com)

Or this vintage fur clip:

(image from jewelry-4-u.com)

A detailed description of the characteristics of Art Deco period would take way too long, but here's a good little overview on the jewelry of the time (this would be the most relevant, as the Clé de Peau holiday vintage palettes are modeled after antique jewelry).

Take a peek at 2009's palette and let me know whether you prefer that one to 2010's.  Personally, while I think they're both gorgeous, I love the 2010 one more.  

I couldn't resist scooping up this gorgeous highlighter from Clé de Peau. 

The colors are inspired by the luminous hues found in seashells (a similar idea to Armani's Madreperla palette):

(image from cledepeau-beaute.com)

Here are some more close-ups - I love how the sharp angles are made softer by the shimmer and pastel shades:

Yes, the powder is gorgeous, but what I really want to talk about is the outer case.  It was created by jewelry designer Shaun Leane, who had this to say about the design: “When we first designed the compact, our thought was to craft a piece which was both tactile and desirable.  In terms of its aesthetic, we wanted the design to be as though it was a jewel with a multitude of facets; to be chic, sophisticated, whilst exuding an element of glamour and fun, just like the lady who will be inspired by it.”

Leane also made a stunning gold "Reflection" necklace to be displayed at the brand's store in Tokyo's Ginza district.  Set with 1,355 diamonds, this little piece of extravagance embodies the luxe, gem-like nature of the compact. 

(image from racked.com)

In case you're wondering, the necklace is for display purposes only and is not for sale.  However, I think it should be donated to the Museum.  ;)

Anyway, here are some more pictures of the outer case.  I admire Lane's restraint in this design.  While he could have taken the easy way out and stuck a bunch of tiny rhinestones on the case to mimic the necklace's diamonds (hello, gaudy),  he went with reflective geometric planes cut in such a way to make the case look like a real, 3D gem (it's totally smooth to the touch).

All of this talk of facets and opulent jewels reminded me of Kirsten Hassenfeld's work, which I first spotted at The Jealous Curator a while ago.  In the early 2000s Hassenfeld created a series of gemstones constructed entirely out of paper.

Dollar Dreams, 2002:

Parure, 2003:

Blue Fancy, 2003 (which looks to be part of the Parure installation above):

(images from bellwethergallery.com)

While Hassenfeld's work has taken a slightly different direction in recent years, these pieces focus on the themes of luxury and privilege.  From the press release at Bellwether Gallery for her 2004 show:

"Kirsten Hassenfeld creates extravagantly decorated, over-sized translucent gem and crystalline sculptures painstakingly crafted predominantly from paper. Borrowing forms and techniques from jewelry and other luxury goods, she creates opulent hybrids of traditional decorative art and otherworldly excess. Her works speak to notions of privilege, ownership, family pedigree, and the confusion of what we have with who we are through an embarrassment of riches...Kirsten playfully evokes traditional markers of power and symbols of plenty, mixing their opulence with the fragility of the hand hewn."  Says the artist:  "My work has evolved into a three-dimensional daydream in which my ambivalence toward material wealth and privilege is expressed. Precious objects speak about the cultures that produce and consume them; I revamp these objects with decidedly un-precious materials and varying scales, making fantasy tangible in a manner that calls into question what is considered precious. I conjure up for the viewer concoctions of wishes in an ephemeral form, promoting a state of wistful half-fulfillment.  My sculptures, as they reference specific markers of status, are themselves part of a larger economy of privilege. Contemporary art is, in the most extreme way, a luxury. My artwork self-consciously acknowledges its own extravagance and impracticality."

I'm interested in the how these works question the idea of worth - how valuable are jewels if they're made out of paper?   And in the case of Clé de Peau, out of plastic and powder?  While the brand is known for jewel motifs (see their vintage Holiday palettes) this time the company hired an actual jewelry designer to make the compact and the accompanying necklace.  Even more so than with previous palettes, they're trying to appeal to consumers' desire for status and luxury by showing the compact with an exclusive necklace that is so precious that it's not even for sale - purchasing the compact means we can have a little taste of what priceless feels like, the "wistful half-fulfillment" that Hassenfeld mentions.

This tactic works - for me, anyway.  I wasn't going to buy the compact until I saw that necklace!  What are your thoughts on the palette and on Hassenfeld's work?

I was seriously blown away when I saw this powder from Clé de Peau.  "Inspired by the eternal allure of vintage jewelry," it boasts a multi-faceted jewel shape with a diamond-like sparkle.  Even the box and outer case have the same design.

With flash:

Since every store was sold out when I called around for this I wound up getting it through E-bay, but I maintain that it is well worth it.   Definitely a holiday exhibition showstopper!