Gregoris Pilpilis, Creative Director of Hermès Beauty, talks about a completely new and bold gesture in Traits d’Hermès, the métier of Hermès Beauty.
What is your morning routine like for the first 30 minutes of your day?
I like to take a shower, drink some coffee and listen to some news, then go to the gym. It doesn’t happen every day, but if you have a late dinner, it may not be easy. But I would say this is an average day for me. I believe that once the body is fully awakened, the spirit and mind can follow suit. That’s just the best way and that’s what works for me.
What are the DNA pillars that define Hermès beauty?
For me, it’s a house of things and a house of color. Color is the entire universe. With over 75,000 color references, it’s like an endless palette. And of course, our personal quest for excellence when it comes to the materials, materials and everything we use, it’s like buying a beautiful Hermès bag. We take the same approach. The approach to creating beauty is really connected to the approach of all the other métiers that have made Hermès what it is today. A nearly 200-year-old mansion, Hermès Beauty has the ability to reinvent every kind of métier every time. And for a house that’s been built for nearly 200 years, many people will say that it can be a little classic and a little heavy-handed in its approach. But that’s not the case. At Hermès, we have not only the freedom but also the ability to reinvent, always having something new to reflect the times. We live in the present, but we are always looking to the future. That’s the love we have to make. An exploration of timeless beautiful objects, amazing and beautiful ingredients, colors and gestures. These are women and men who want to be themselves, and women and men who want to be better versions of themselves, who want to enhance themselves with makeup, not just cover it up or camouflage it. It is here for women and men who desire to wear it. So I think this honesty is a very strong point of Hermès.
Traits d’Hermès is a celebration of color. What is the inspiration behind this fun and bold collection?
For this collection, I recalled my childhood memories of being given a blank sheet of paper, crayons, and paints to color and design freely as I wanted to express myself. I wanted to convey this freedom to express myself within the collection. I wanted to add colors that might evoke a little bit of your emotions, the emotions you had as a child when you had an almost innocent creative freedom to create who you wanted to be. is. It’s about not being afraid to experiment and feeling like everything is possible. Seeing these collections in front of me and on my makeup counter inspires me to play with color again. It’s easy to do with a pencil. This is because using a pencil requires much less area to paint than actually shading. For example, around the eyes. So it’s a great introduction for people who want to experiment with color but are a little afraid.
What were your priorities when creating this collection and were there any challenges you faced?
Yes, certainly. Every development, every collection has certain challenges that we face. Making makeup products is easy, but making Hermes makeup products is very challenging and difficult. Because our standards are very high. The most difficult part for me was that while developing the formula with my team, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted a thick liner or a smooth pencil. Stand only on the outside of your eyes. So we said, what if we did the same thing all at once? I think the biggest challenge was finding the perfect balance of waxes and oils in the formula. This way, the effect will last longer, and it will be creamy and hard enough to blend as an eyeliner. I think the second challenge is color selection. We hit a very reasonable 24, but it’s still a very large palette. As you can imagine, we didn’t just come up with 24 colors, we developed many more. But when you finally look at the palette, I think everyone can find at least one color that’s unique to them and that they can fall in love with.
When time is of the essence, which Trait d’Hermès products should you reach for to save time and look like you put in the effort?
Line and color are the two pillars of the collection. Draw a simple line along your eyelashes. What I would suggest is to create a modern statement using two beautiful contrasting colors, as seen in the Le Trait d’Hermes campaign, and then add a little mascara. It’s easy because it’s easy to see. It’s very impressive, but at the same time modest and looks like it took a lot of effort and time.
Traits d’Hermès encourages creativity and experimentation. What do you want people using these products to see when they look in the mirror?
I want to meet someone who isn’t afraid to play with color. I really like beautiful nude makeup, but using color makes it a little more expressive. Colors are great storytellers. Colors say and reveal a lot about you. The message you want to convey that day, or how you feel, how you see the world, and how you want the world to see you. Playing with color a little can brighten your mood, and I think that’s what we need in these times. Makeup is about celebrating, enhancing, revealing and being proud of the unique aspects of yourself. It’s not about creating makeup that everyone would wear, it’s not about just wanting to copy something you see on social media.
Did you have a standout beauty icon in mind when you created Trait d’Hermès?
When I work as a makeup artist, I look to women who have made their mark in film and fashion. Hermès does not have a public relations person. That’s because Hermès Beauty doesn’t believe in one type of beauty. But for me, the Hermès women who inspired this collection are authentic and proud of who they are and who they want to be. I’m inspired by women who are so fearless and don’t put themselves in a box. they live their own lives. She is unapologetically expressive and free-spirited when it comes to fashion and makeup.
How do you and Pierre Hardy, object creator at Hermès Beauty, collaborate effectively?
So once I’ve worked with my team to develop the entire collection and everything is in place and I’ve finished editing the formulas and textures and I know where I want it to go, it’s here that I present the project to Pierre. in our office. I meet Pierre every 15 days to keep up with all the projects. We present the collection to Pierre, and what’s really interesting is that he comes up with ideas right in front of our eyes, as soon as he grabs a piece of paper and pencil or an iPad. In most cases, this is an idea that is maintained for the development of the collection. During this time we have a conversation and I explain to him the inspiration for the collection. Pierre knows this house so well that he knows in his head what the Hermès items are and how important they are. He has a beautiful and creative way of instantly understanding what I want the message of the collection to convey. What is very interesting is that every time he reinvents and creates an object, he is only asked to collect it.
What beauty trends do you think will be strong in FW24?
I’m not one to believe in beauty trends. When I started doing makeup, these trends were mostly from runway shows, and I think they’ll continue to be that way for the next six months. Today, this trend is more temporary and has a much shorter lifespan.
I can definitely say there is a huge trend when it comes to blush today. Personally, I think this is one of the most beautiful makeup products. Beautiful blush will brighten up your skin.
This season, we’re seeing a lot of natural lip colors. In other words, a beautiful beige that reminds you of clay, a clearer, sunny beige, or a reddish beige that resembles biting your lip. I think it’s all about playing with different textures on the lips. And when it comes to eyes, we saw lots of colorful mascaras and lots of strong, bold color combinations at the show.
What beauty products are popular in this region?
I think what’s really appreciated in the Middle East are eyeliners, mascaras, highlights and lip products. In this region, I think it is important to consider femininity and how to become truly beautiful. For now, color is not as important as it is in Europe, but I think Middle Eastern women are very loyal to the products they like and will buy them. So if you like an eyeliner or mascara, you’ll keep using it for a long time. I like the fact that they assume what they like, assume femininity, and are not afraid to show and express it through makeup. I find this inspirational as it is a very unique approach.
This is a bold question. When was the last time you had to trust your instincts and be bold and how did it pay off?
That’s when I decided to become a makeup artist. It was a very bold moment because I was going to become an English teacher. So when I was studying at the University of Athens in Greece, where I was born and raised, when I discovered makeup, it was just a huge revelation for me. It was like a whole new universe opened before my eyes. And I think that was the boldest move I’ve ever made. I put aside what I had wanted to do for years and just followed my passion. That’s what I discovered and fell in love with.
My second bold move was when I decided to move from Athens to Paris. In Athens, I built a career working with many local celebrities and fashion magazines. And when I had the opportunity to move to Paris and chase my dreams, bigger dreams, that was a really big moment for me. Imagine that I didn’t speak any French at that time. I moved when I was 25 or 26 and I’ve never regretted it.
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