With the passing of Shu Uemura, the Japanese makeup and cosmetic giant starts a new era with Kakuyasu Uchiide.Makeup guru Shu Uemura passed away last December and left his spring collection "Rebirth" as his posthumous goodbye for the brand. While the summer is almost over, major skincare brands are now launching their Fall/Winter collections. Shu Uemura's latest collection was recently revealed with high expectations from the brand's devoted fans.
Taking over from Uemura is Kakuyasu Uchiide, who became the company's international artistic director. For his debut solo collection, Fall/Winter '08 Mode Makeup , Uchiide was involved at every step: from the initial concept and designing product packaging to maodel casting.
"Many people are curious if i will retain Shu's style or bring a breakthrough to the industry. To be honest, i am not sure either. When i first started in the cosmetics industry, I knew practically nothing about makeup. I learned everying from Mr Shu and i feel like i became a part of him, my work shows traces of his style," says Uchiide.
He descibes the new season's collection as sexy. He says the brand usually conceys a feeling of innocence and freshness, but as a new direction they are using a sexy from a man's perspective. In Shu Uemura's advertising campaigns, there's an image of a seductive, smoky-eye nor the lips are the focus of the collection, but skin colour.
"Women with healthy and glowing skin colour are real sexy. Face powder is something you cannot miss this season. We did not expect such enthusiastic feedback when we first had this idea. Japanese medis loved it when it was launched in Japan," he says. Uchiide's hero product is the company's first-ever face powder, which lies between a blish and loose powder. Users an highlight their cheekbone and hairline after applying foundation.
Once the skin is finished with an ever tone, eye and lip makeup are the next steps to enhance your facial features. The colour tones for eyes this season are quite dark, with two shades in one case. One is creamy; oneis powdery. Uchiide says we can over the whole eyelid with the lighter colour and use the darker one on the fold and under the eye. "Everyone can master applying makeup. Or do it your own way is fine too," he says.
Shu uemura x Viktor & Rolf
Innovation does not only appear in the Fall/Winter collection, but also in a crossover campaign with renowned fashion brand Viktor & Rolf in a series of theatrical, false eyelashes. Uchiide explains, "I want to retain Shu's passion for the art beauty, and this collaboration with Viktor & Rolf is just an example. The new collection goes way beyond the past designs. Wing is my favourite design among all the lash patterns, which gives me asense of freedom." He says more crossover collaborations with other brands can bring Shu Uemura new ideas and concepts. When asked who will be the company's next partner, Uchiide doesn't answer; intead he leves us guessing.
