Chanel’s global creative makeup and color designer, Lucia Pica. Courtesy of Chanel
Chanel’s Fall 2019 makeup collection draws inspiration from the monochrome palette synonymous with its eternally-chic founder
“Black and white are the colors I relate most to Gabrielle Chanel; the time she lived in, the power she gave these colors, and the way they appeared in her life,” begins Lucia Pica, the global creative makeup and color designer for Chanel. Pica is inside the iconic Grand Palais in Paris for the unveiling of her Fall 2019 makeup collection, Noir et Blanc de Chanel (Black and White of Chanel). Outside, the city that inspired the 16 new colors and formulas is bustling with tourists and Parisians alike. A city that transforms from dusk till dawn and back again, where Pica discovered a palette of black and whites, and the nuances in-between.
The Noir et Blanc de Chanel packaging. Courtesy of Chanel
Pica is the first to acknowledge that black and white aren’t shades often championed in the world of beauty. Nor were they hailed in the world of fashion during the era of Gabrielle Chanel. “Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White, too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony,” Chanel once said. Translating this notion to makeup, this collection, more so than others, is inspired by the icon. “Black and white were in her surroundings, in the interiors, in the architecture of Paris, as well as in the symbolism of her life,” notes Pica.
Lucia Pica’s inspiration. Courtesy of Chanel
Stepping out onto the cobblestone streets of Paris, Pica began building the collection by gathering images of the city. From architecture to nature, it was in the abstract that her ideas flourished. “There are moments of lightness with a sparkling tone and that was very much sourced from photography; from taking pictures of light at night,” she says. Black and white images of the river Seine are mounted behind her. The ripples of the water lit up by the setting sun in one, and in the other, street lights. The former translated to Le Gel Pailleté, a transparent shimmering gel to be worn on the face and décolleté, the latter an intense black nail polish for Le Vernis, titled Pure Black.
Lucia Pica’s inspiration. Courtesy of Chanel
Pica looked to photographs of the past, too. Cinematic in style, they depict glamorous women in the 1920s, with some images featuring the mademoiselle herself. “I would say they are wearing red lipstick, but because the photograph was taken in black and white, the color is a little bit muted down,” she explains. Even so, the lipsticks still had strength to them. This world of in-between tones was translated to a beige and rosewood shade for cult favorite Rouge Allure Liquid Powder and another rosewood and burgundy for Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme lipsticks. “They are in-between colors. A little mysterious, it almost requires you to look at it twice to understand what color it is,” says Pica.
Lucia Pica’s inspiration. Courtesy of Chanel
The heroine in the Noir et Blanc de Chanel story is bolder than just a swipe of lipstick. To act as a layer, or to be worn alone, Rouge Coco Gloss is the standout. The light side offers a see-through sparkling topcoat and the latter a deep black cherry. “I wanted the black gloss to carry the feeling of the femme fatale,” Pica says. “I wanted it to look black, but not black on the lips.” A base of burgundy, purple, and red made the gloss more wearable. “Black lip gloss is a little bit scary,” she acknowledges. “I wanted it to be for young women and older women, too. I wanted it to be really chic; something so you could wear with your suit or with a black dress,” she offers.
The collection. Courtesy of Chanel
This concept of bare skin invites women to experiment with these new textures and shades. “There is an idea of extreme fantasy as well as reality in this collection; of something very stylized or delineated while embracing the day-to-day,” says Pica. She herself wears the black lip gloss, Lacque Noire, in the day, teaming it with glowing skin, brushed up brows, and mascara on the top lashes. “Transparency of the skin is very important. Less makeup on the face is key for me to make any look more modern, fresher, or more natural.”
The collection. Courtesy of Chanel
The art of layering is inspired throughout the collection from lips through to the eyes. As if fashioning a character for the day, the Les 4 Ombres Palettes have buildable intensity. “The creamy velvet texture and the intense pigmentation should give a feeling of new depth and penetration as well as a sense of cinematic or photographic shades,” says Pica. This is furthered by the Ombre Premiere Top Coat. A transparent veil of light, it can be added on top of your classic smoky eye with your fingertips. “The transparency ensures you can see the result of all the work previously done,” says Pica. “You have this feeling of depth and light.”
The collection. Courtesy of Chanel
A woman’s woman, Pica, whose first name means “light” in Italian, has mastered a collection that will push wearers to explore beyond their typical beauty routine without feeling intimidated. “It’s that easy,” she smiles, blending one shade of the Noir Supreme eyeshadow palette into the other. “And, not just because I’m doing it.” The unique formulas can be tried and tested one at a time, or all together for a unique, contemporary look. Pica’s most important rule? “Blending is something I believe in the most,” she says, “Firstly there’s love and being happy; then, there’s blending.”
Originally published in the September 2019 issue of Vogue Arabia
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