NARS: THE CLAUDETTE COLLECTION Q&A with François Nars, NARS Founder & Creative Director

WHAT IS THE EARLIEST MEMORY OF YOUR MOTHER?

It’s hard to remember an exact moment or an exact year or a specific look. I always remember my mom being extremely beautiful and always getting a lot of attention from people, as they always noticed her in the street or anywhere we would go. She has always been a very gorgeous woman.

DO YOU REMEMBER WATCHING YOUR MOM APPLY MAKEUP?

My mom was never into a very heavy makeup, she liked it very natural, which I loved and thought she looked amazing. She was really into mascara, having her lashes done well, putting on some blush. She didn’t like foundation or anything that was covering her skin too much. She didn’t really need to put on too much because she had a naturally beautiful skin. When I started doing her makeup, I was probably the one who put more makeup on her!

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU TRIED APPLYING MAKEUP ON YOUR MOM? DO YOU REMEMBER THE LOOK?

I think I started testing makeup on her in the early 70s, which is when I started really loving fashion and makeup. I would recreate some of the makeup looks from VOGUE and French ELLE. My mother has amazing green eyes, so the most fun part was the eye makeup. I used to really look in the magazines, in the photographs, and see how they did the smoky eyes, which was the big trend at the time—they were quite extreme. I would try to recreate them on her and then I would send her out to go into town to go shopping, go see her friends and try to get the comments from her friends to see what they thought. Usually people said, “Oh my God, you look so great!” and that was so encouraging that I started slowly getting more into makeup.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO CREATE THIS COLLECTION? WAS IT YOUR IDEA OR WAS IT A COLLECTIVE IDEA WITH YOUR MOM?

It was my idea, and I proposed it to her. My mother is very laidback and a bit shy, so she wouldn’t dare to ask to do a collection for NARS, but I shared the idea to the team, and everybody agreed that it was a great idea. Then I proposed it to her, and we worked together of course, on the products that she would really love her name on. We spoke about the packaging – that’s when we started thinking about the prints. We really collaborated on the whole concept.

WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE DESIGN FOR ALL THE PACKAGING? 

The prints of the dresses that my mother used to wear in the 70s.

HOW DID YOU SELECT THESE COLORS, AND WHAT DO THEY REPRESENT IN YOUR MIND?

I chose colors that I think look great on my mom, and the colors that she’s comfortable with and loves to wear. They’re very timeless colors that make her feel and look good. It was a very easy process because by now, at her age, we know what she likes, and we know what I like on her. She trusts me, I trust her, and I knew what she wanted in this collection.

WHAT WAS THE CLAUDETTE COLLECTION CAMPAIGN SHOOT LIKE?

It took place in Paris, we shot at Hotel Regina. She was so professional and worked very hard. We did everything in one day because as you can imagine it’s very hard for a woman of her age to keep up with a full-day shoot schedule, but she did so perfectly. We began in the morning and we finished at 6 in the evening. She was very nervous to be shot, of course. When you’re 25 or 30 years old it’s easy, but when you’re her age, it made her very nervous, but she looked incredible and the team was great around her, it made her feel very comfortable. I think she had an amazing time and I think she would do it again.

In the Philippines, NARS is available through boutiques owned and operated by Stores Specialists, Inc. located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Power Plant Mall and SM Megamall Pop Up Store.  Visit ssilife.com.ph or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.

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