“The sacred in art is beauty,” wrote French philosopher and activist Simone Weil. An idea that today seems to be shared by a growing number of beauty houses, determined to reinvent the way they interact with museums through unique collaborations that range from limited edition cosmetics, perfumes and skincare. A pioneer of this new type of collaboration was the Metropolitan Museum of New York, which in 2018 decided to collaborate with Pat McGrath to create an exclusive makeup collection for a Costume Institute exhibition. Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. Instead, in 2022 it was the turn of Le Labo, which, together with MET, launched the Laurier 62 candle to pay homage to the painting by Henri-Edmond Cross entitled Under the cork oaks.
This year, Metropolitan launched two beauty projects: the first with Pura, a “smart home fragrance device” and six scents inspired by some of the museum’s most iconic spaces, such as the Temple of Dendur; the second is with the South Korean skin care brand Sulwhasoo (is part of the Amorepacific group, whose brands include Laneige and Innisfree, ed.). “The world of beauty leaves us with so much room to be creative,” said Morgan Pierce, general manager of marketing, brand partnerships and licensing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The New York museum doesn’t seem to be the only one interested in the marriage of art and beauty. In 2021, through a partnership with South Korean company Netmarble Healer.B, London’s Victoria & Albert launched a personal care line called V&A Beauty. The brand, which promises to “provide creative inspiration in everyday life,” consists of products for the face and body, as well as lipsticks and the inevitable cushion, a compact foundation made popular by K-Beauty.
Likewise, the Louvre in Paris recently announced a partnership with Lancôme to create a makeup line inspired by some of the most iconic representations of feminine strength and power within its walls. Featuring ambassadors such as Zendaya, Amanda Seyfried, Aya Nakamura and He Kong, the capsule collections range from an eyeshadow palette to four L’Absolu Rouge lipsticks. “At Lancôme we believe that beauty is a living art, understood as a ritual experienced in its most intimate concept throughout history, that it is a means of self-expression and one’s uniqueness with constantly evolving codes – or, better yet, without any code. “, emphasized Françoise Lehmann, President of the global brand Lancôme.