On 12 January 2016, I had the honour to meet Olivier Echaudemaison, Guerlain’s legendary Make-up Creative Director. Guerlain invited me to meet him in Zurich, Switzerland.
Olivier Echaudemaison is one of the world’s most famous make-up artists. Thanks to his talent and make-up creativity, the world’s most beautiful women looked even more beautiful: Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy, Ava Gardner, Liz Taylor, Romy Schneider, Josephine Baker, Natalia Vodianova and many more.
Olivier Echaudemaison is a very elegant, well-groomed French. He’s very open-minded, easy-going and has a great sense of humour. When we met, he told me that he loved my red-orange lipstick. He asked me what I was wearing, and I told him that it was a lipcolour by Nars. He had a good laugh at it and told me: “François Nars used to be one of my assistants.”
Olivier Echaudemaison started his career at the age of 17 in Paris, when he began working as a hairdresser for Alexandre. At that time, Alexandre and Carita were the two most prestigious hair salons in Paris. He was so talented that he soon became Alexandre’s studio hairdresser for fashion shootings. He worked with models like Twiggy and Veruschka for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Marie Claire. At that time, even international models did the make-up themselves. Olivier Echaudemaison suddenly had the idea to give it a try. He discovered that being a make-up artist was more creative than being a hairdresser. That was the beginning of his career in make-up.
In 1988, he created this first make-up collection for Hubert de Givenchy, one of the world’s leading fashion designers in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. It was also Hubert de Givenchy who introduced Audrey Hepburn to Olivier Echaudemaison, who created amongst other things Givenchy’s Prisma.
In 2000, Guerlain appointed him Make-up Creative Director. He created amongst others Guerlain’s lipsticks KissKiss and Rouge G.
Curious to discover Guerlain’s new make-up products? VERTIGO Online will publish the pictures on 1st February 2016 (there’s an embargo till then). In the meantime they are on my nightstand. They look fantastic! And so Parisian!
Un grand merci à Guerlain Suisse pour m’avoir invitée! L’organisation et la présentation étaient parfaites, comme toujours!
VERTIGO MEETS OLIVIER ECHAUDEMAISON
“Personality is more important than style,” said Olivier Echaudemaison during his talk with VERTIGO Magazine.
Olivier Echaudemaison is applying Terracotta, Guerlain’s number one bestselling product. “Since its launch in 1984, it has been copied by all make-up brands,” he said to VERTIGO. “But all the make-up artists have Terracotta in their make-up case. Terracotta was a revolution. It’s unique and so simply to use.”
Photos: vertigomag.co.uk
VIDEO: OLIVIER ECHAUDEMAISON AND NATALIA VODIANOVA IN PARIS
VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH OLIVIER ECHAUDEMAISON
Discover the world of Guerlain
www.guerlain.com
Follow VERTIGO Magazine on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/vertigomagazine/
