Feature
Magnificent Obsession
NARS x Steven Klein Collaboration
TEXT BY KARENA GUPTON AKHAVEIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NARS/STEVEN KLEIN
Creative collaborations seem to have become a facile way for
cosmetics companies to exploit the distinct marketing advantage of covetable and collectable limited edition offerings, and
to enjoy the extra exposure afforded by cross-industry name recognition. In the case of makeup artist favorite NARS Cosmetics,
however, collaborations are truly the organic result of a complex
creative process, born of the mutual admiration between two
artists. Francois Nars, Founder & Creative Director of NARS
Cosmetics and an acclaimed photographer himself, has chosen to partner only with artists, photographers, and fashion
designers, living or dead, such as Andy Warhol, Guy Bourdin,
and Christopher Kane, whose work or vision are not only a good
match for NARS products, but which more importantly push
creative limits even further. François Nars explains: “We build
collections from scratch, we don’t just take two things and put
them together. I like things done a certain way, and they have
to be done well.”
NARS’ newest project, a magnificent holiday collection, is
also a fruitful creative collaboration with cult photographer
Steven Klein. Eminently obsession-worthy and gift-able, it’s
probably not something to give grandma for Christmas: Klein
has been known throughout his career for his boundary pushing, edgy, at times fetishistic work, seemingly a counter intuitive
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choice for a holiday collection. However, the formulas are so
extraordinary and the packaging so beautiful, that it somehow
makes perfect sense. Francois Nars welcomed the idea that
working with Steven Klein might mean creating a controversial product. “You don’t look at his images and instantly think
about makeup,” he explains. “When I approached him about a
collaboration, he responded right away and was very excited. I
think it was unexpected for him, and we both realized this idea
was something very different.” Klein’s darkly iconic images were
the starting point for the collection, and informed everything
from the formulas, to the colors, to the packaging. “I started by
working with Steven to identify imagery for the collection,” says
Nars. “I met him at his studio in Chelsea and he showed me all of
his photographs, some I knew, some I didn’t. We are friends, so
it was very laid back. Then we met again and sorted