Meet Isamaya Ffrench, the 33 year old British makeup artist who is leading the crusade against the “no-makeup makeup look” and taking the fashion world by storm. Her impressive resume includes features in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and i-D. She has worked with brands like Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Dior, and currently serves as the Global Beauty Director of Burberry. She had a rather unconventional start in the industry, beginning with a part-time children’s face painting job at age 19, and then working various prosthetic and body painting jobs until her work was eventually discovered by i-D magazine when she was 22.
In 2018, Ffrench launched her own makeup line, Isamaya, which includes the now famed penis-shaped lipsticks. The line is a reflection of her own unique and experimental approach to makeup, featuring bold and bright colors with unconventional packaging. The products are all designed to inspire creativity and experimentation in makeup. Her brand is also backed by the belief that makeup should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their skin color or gender identity.
The line features shades that are designed to complement a range of skin tones, and Ffrench has made a point to use models of all ethnicities in her campaigns.
Her name has become synonymous with everything bold and innovative in the fashion industry, and her maximalist looks are the antithesis to the quiet ‘French-girl makeup’ that has ruled the runway in previous decades. Her background in prosthetics is evident in her work, and she is loved by innovative designers like Collina Strada and Ib Kamara (Off-White) for her fantastical approach to makeup.
Isamaya Ffrench has become a force to be reckoned with in the beauty industry, and we are bound to see a lot more of her looks in the upcoming years. Her career as a makeup artist has paved the way for a new era of bold and experimental makeup looks, while her makeup line has shown that inclusivity and diversity can go hand-in-hand with creativity and innovation.
Featured image via The New York Times.
