Italian makeup artist Licia Pica is rewriting the color playbook for Byredo.
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In late May, as the fashion community awoke in New York, a news alert sent a collective shock wave through Manhattan’s oat cappuccinos: Byredo, the Scandi-chic fragrance brand turned beauty and lifestyle juggernaut, had been acquired by the Spanish luxury conglomerate Puig for a reported $1 billion. The sheer size of the deal transcended industry circles, reverberating with fans of the gender-neutral brand that Ben Gorham founded in 2006 linking emotion to memory through scent.
, c.1953, tempera on paper mounted on board with acrylic painted surround. Bridgeman Images, © 2022 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko/ARS, New York. Mark Rothko,, 1961, Oil on Canvas. Bridgeman Images, © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko/ARS, New York. Mark Rothko,, c.1956, Oil on Canvas. Bridgeman Images, © 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko/ARS, New York.
“My first idea with makeup was just to break the mold,” Gorham says of his initial collaboration with the subversive makeup artist. But while Ffrench encouraged self-expression through experimentation with color sticks in hues of metallic green and glittery purple, Pica has latched on to the sensuality at the heart of some of Byredo’s first scents. They had an intimacy that she sees in makeup, too.
that can also be worn on eyes. As the surprising makeup statement in her first campaign, it’s a stunning palette cleanser. Says Pica, “It’s a new beginning.”