To quote Chrissie Hynde of the pretenders: Some things change. Some stay the same. After 10 years, I am back at Fairchild Publications. In the early days, I shared a cubicle with fellow beauty reporter Jenny B. Fine. Now, she is editor of WWD Beauty Biz, not to mention a new mom—to Philippa Blossom Locke, who was born on April 20th. Since August 2005, after six years as beauty director of In Style magazine, I have been running my own branding consultancy, KVD NYC Inc. In addition to advising my fashion and beauty clients, I am filling in for Jenny this summer while she is on maternity leave. Once again, we are sharing a cubicle.
The beauty business has also undergone some amazing changes during the past decade. Within the last two years alone, two of the largest beauty companies in the world—L’Oréal and Shiseido—gained new chiefs. In this, “The CEO Issue,” we sit down with both men. Pete Born interviews Jean-Paul Agon at L’Oréal headquarters in the Paris suburb of Clichy, while our Singapore correspondent Betsy Lowther flies to Tokyo to profile Shiseido’s Shinzo Maeda.
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Their in-depth interviews cover many topics facing beauty ceo’s today, from growing existing brands and driving sales internationally to pushing innovation, making strategic acquisitions and marketing in new mediums, all while keeping the troops happy and adopting as eco-friendly a stance as possible. Eli Halliwell, ceo of organic beauty company Jurlique, is happy about that last development. He is profiled by Andrea Nagel, who also interviews Frédéric Fekkai ceo Melisse Shaban. Julie Naughton checks in with Victoria’s Secret Beauty ceo Christine Beauchamp (another new mom!) and N.V. Perricone’s Shashi Batra. To round out the package, Matthew W. Evans gives 10 more beauty chief executives a pop quiz, to see what’s on their minds and their iPods.
Michelle Edgar offers an insider preview of fragrances set to launch in the next six months. Get ready for some chypre thrills! Meanwhile, Megan McIntyre negotiates the blurring lines between food and beauty, and compiles both the “What’s In Store” section and the “It List” of top beauty still life photographers. Luckily for me, some things have not changed around here. Some of the best lensmen in the business remain staffers at Fairchild. Tommy Iannaccone shot “A Closer Look” and George Chinsee snapped “What’s In Store.”
Finally, we close the issue with a look at beauty’s new reality, the virtual one. Molly Prior (or rather, her avatar, Bunny Forwzy) explores an online marketing platform that’s already attracting Coty and L’Oréal. Maybe by the time Jenny has her second child, WWD Beauty Biz will have become a publication in Second Life! Until then, enjoy this issue.
See you next month! Peace.