Illamasqua’s new shareholder to develop brand’s retail performance
With his investment in the brand, Corres will work alongside both the company founder and creative director to develop retail performance and the brand’s continued growth in new markets, the company said.
“2010 will be another big year for Illamasqua as the brand continues to roll out globally as well as build its performance within our UK retail partners through new collections and some unexpected brand extensions", said Julian Kynaston, founder of Illamasqua.
Global brand roll-out
The brand was first launched in up-market department store Selfridges in the UK, where high consumer demand prompted further roll-out in stores across the UK and Ireland.
Corres’ investment in Illamasqua coincides with the launch of its products in Bloomingdales in Dubai next month, the latest step in a global roll-out plan which saw the launch of the brand in 26 Sephora outlets across the US last year.
Although Illamasqua is currently only available in selected retail stores, Corres will also work to explore the possibility of launching stand-alone stores, the company said.
Illamasqua’s brand director, Kate Massarella, told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com that the brand’s strongest market is the UK, where is has “quickly become established as one of the core contemporary make-up brands, despite only being in most stores for six months.”
Cosmetics brand with a difference
According to Massarella, Illamasqua is positioned as a night-time make-up brand that encourages customers to be original rather that adopting a standard or seasonal look.
“The majority of the make-up is produced by one of the world’s leading independent manufacturers of film and theatre make-up so brings truly professional make-up to the high street,” she added.
Speaking as formal shareholder in the company, Corres described Illamasqua as ‘the only brand who is doing anything different out there right now', adding that “the heritage of our products and formulations show that we are the only colour cosmetic brand in the prestige market that can truly claim the word 'professional'.”
