What began as a childhood fascination with French Vogue and European cinema developed into François Nars' celebrated career in makeup artistry and an eponymous cosmetics empire. As Nars opens its second boutique, we present a few stand-out moments in the brand's heritage.
Angelinos can spend all day in this new 1,500-square-foot pigment playground. Designed by Fabien Baron, the back-and-white space is punctuated by Jungle Red accents to match the brand's famous flaming shade. The shop features six makeup stations, screens showing short films and a private room outfitted like a chic Parisian apartment with an imported fireplace.
Madonna took a liking to François' skill, enlisting him to help re-invent her image in the early 90s. He appeared on the other side of the lens with her for this shoot in Allure.
Are those beauty goggles you're wearing? François rose to fame alongside photograhper Steven Meisel and hairstylist Oribe Canales. The trio worked on shoots together and had a penchant for wearing sunglasses indoors...to block the blinding glare of their rise to stardom. (left to right: François, Oribe, Steven)
François first launched the Nars cosmetics line in 1994 with 12 lipsticks sold at Barneys New York. The products were housed in sleek, black rubberized packaging designed by art director Fabien Baron. To this day, editors and makeup artists herald these products as beauty manna:
A beauty icon and mascot, François' French bulldog, Marcel, made cameos at parties and on holiday cards we hung over our desks year after year. Sadly, Marcel went to puppy heaven earlier this year. He will be missed, but his beauty legacy lives on.
"What interests me is character. I've always been attracted to faces with personality, strength and a unique quality. That is beauty," François has said. Obsessed with eyebrows, he shaved off model Kristen McMenamy’s for an Anna Sui show in 1992. His graphic muse makeovers always garner praise. (left to right: Marc Jacobs, Kristen McMenamy, Daphne Guinness)
He beckoned us into a travel fantasy with shade names like Maldives, Riviera and St. Barts. "I think this gives our products a personality. I wake up in the middle of the night and jot down a name for a lipstick or an eyeshadow," he told Interview magazine. Speaking of envy, how about Motu Tané, the French Polynesian island he bought in 2000?
In 2009, after a 10-year hiatus from the runway, François returned for Marc Jacobs’s fall show, which was an homage to 80s nightclub life. “Marc and I felt there was a need to go wild,” said François, who created 65 vibrant disco looks rather than just one.
Here's the dilmema: Do you display these on your mantle or use them? Nars collaborated with Thakoon for a limited edition nail polish set inspired by an Indian spice market. For holiday, we can all feast our eyes on Andy Warhol-inspired products.
