Introducing “The Next Era Of Luxury Beauty”: La Beauté Louis Vuitton.
By: Colleen Morgan
Introducing “The Next Era Of Luxury Beauty”: La Beauté Louis Vuitton.
3 minutes read
Introduction by: Peter Marshall
French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton has officially entered the beauty market through a new collaboration with Dame Pat McGrath, described by many as “the most influential makeup artist in the world”.
A new makeup brand – La Beauté Louis Vuitton – is destined to launch in the autumn with a range of lipsticks, lip balms and eye palettes. Popular beauty and fashion publications are hailing the new partnership as “a match made in makeup heaven” and “the next era of luxury beauty”.
Given its late entry into the market, however, how will Louis Vuitton differentiate La Beauté from existing luxury brands like Chanel and Dior? Colleen Morgan* provides the TRunblocked.com perspective.
A new partnership between Louis Vuitton and renowned makeup artist Dame Pat McGrath – and the creation of the La Beauté Louis Vuitton beauty brand – has captured the attention of both the fashion and beauty industries, and of those in the global travel retail sector.
Popular publications, centred on those sectors, and major news sources including Reuters, have detailed the brand’s expected launch in Autumn this year and its initial product line-up. While many have hinted at what the product range will include, others, including Reuters, have confirmed 55 lipsticks, ten tinted lip balms and eight eye palettes. The news service added that production will be in France and the label will also make leather goods for the products.
For Dame McGrath, her match with Louis Vuitton and her position as La Beauté Louis Vuitton’s Creative Director, is a natural one as she has created looks for the French fashion house’s runway shows for many years.
“Working backstage for over 20 years at Louis Vuitton fashion shows, I am thrilled to now play such a key role in the launch of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, which is the result of extraordinary craftsmanship, creativity and innovation,” she said in a press release. “The beauty universe is about so much more than just product, and what we are creating here will unlock a new level in luxury beauty.”
As Essence magazine points out, this isn’t the first time Louis Vuitton has shown interest in makeup and Dame McGrath joins Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, the master perfumer for the brand’s existing fragrance line.
McGrath has been given full access to the Louis Vuitton archive, which includes vanity cases to transport delicate perfumes and cosmetics from 1854, and a range of powder compacts, brushes and mirrors seen in the 1920s.
Of the launch Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, said, “La Beauté Louis Vuitton is a natural business evolution, driven by our meticulous attention to quality, formula and innovation. Through this new universe, we have the opportunity to further accompany clients in their everyday lives with purpose and pleasure, while continuing to celebrate our creativity and heritage.”
In a post on Instagram, fashion media outlet DFS Magazine describes the La Beauté Louis Vuitton launch as “history in the making”. “The legendary makeup artist and beauty innovator is bringing her visionary touch to LV – expect luxury, artistry and pure magic. Are you ready?”
Indeed, at a time when many beauty and fashion brands are battling to meet changing consumer trends and demands, is the world of travel retail ready for this new brand?
Let’s hark back to the Reuters post which makes it clear that Louis Vuitton’s new venture expands its offer “as the industry seeks new avenues of growth to offset a current slump”.
The move “comes as the fashion industry, including LVMH, faces its slowest sales in years, struggling in particular to reignite interest from younger, inflation-weary shoppers.
“A number of high-end fashion houses including Hermès, Valentino and Celine, which is also owned by LVMH, have branched out in recent years into makeup, which even at the high end, where lipsticks can cost over $50, is more affordable than fashion handbags that are priced upwards of $1,000.”
Dame McGrath is a hugely influential figure so it will be interesting to see how La Beauté Louis Vuitton evolves. Classic or a beauty tech approach? While we will have to be patient, there’s no doubt that interest in this new line will be huge. Sales will spike at launch, certainly from Louis Vuitton’s existing client base and newcomers trialling the products. However, will this be sustainable considering brand loyalty to other major players? For sure, they won’t be standing still and could possibly have similar collaborations already in the pipeline.
One last question. Is the Louis Vuitton brand enough in itself to guarantee La Beauté’s success? It’s definitely food for thought.
* TRunblocked.com is delighted to welcome Colleen Morgan as a new and regular columnist. A highly respected former daily newspaper journalist, author and experienced B2B publications writer, most recently for The Moodie Davitt Report, Colleen joins us as we gear up our coverage of the travel retail sector.
We believe her style and approach can only enhance our own differentiated perspective at TRunblocked.com.
