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And now, more on Marc Jacobs Beauty 2.0…

On a recent New York afternoon, the scene at a brunch to preview Marc Jacobs Beauty’s upcoming revival was familiar to regular denizens of the product preview circuit: mimosas, bouquets of bananas and miniature mylar balloons, and yellow trays of finger food that absolutely no one ate populated the space at the Standard High Line. As the assembled crowd of beauty insiders came to order, Marc Jacobs himself sat down for a Q&A with veteran editor Celia Ellenberg, remarking at one point that despite being 63, he still feels like a teenage girl on the inside.

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Jacobs is one of fashion’s great self-deprecators, so it’s easy to laugh off such remarks. Still, from what I’ve seen and heard so far, Marc Jacobs Beauty 2.0 is very reflective of Jacobs’ youthful view of himself. The details surrounding the launch have been kept especially hush-hush by Coty, the Paris-based beauty conglomerate that holds the brand’s beauty license, and a strict embargo prohibited attendees from posting or talking about any products ahead of the debut, but I’ve been able to get a look. The makeup is playful, the main color is a vibrant yellow, and the products have mini custom charms resembling star-, heart-, and flower-shaped balloons. Single eyeshadows are packed in star-shaped cases and have names like “Born Star” and “Joystick.” Before his appearance this week at the Met Gala with Rachel Sennott and Cardi B, Jacobs posted a teaser of the new makeup on Instagram, showcasing the new “green plus glass” nails and a metallic “Legally Bronze” bronzer compact, adorned with a daisy.

Sure, the new collection looks nothing like the original Marc Jacobs Beauty. But it still feels true to the brand and to Jacobs—a designer so adept at reinvention that he’s managed to stay relevant for four decades, even as his various endeavors have fizzled out. Jacobs’s strong identity has allowed him to collaborate on a number of related ventures that, over the years, have appealed to different constituencies—whether it’s a super-high-end runway collection; fragrance, where for years, the Daisy franchise was one of the bestselling perfumes in the world; the contemporary market with Marc by Marc Jacobs; and even his Bookmarc bookstore on Bleecker Street. More recently, the approachably priced and Gen Z–oriented Heaven line successfully tapped into youth subculture in a way that was reminiscent of his early rise.

His new beauty collection is equally ambitious: The prices are premium and in line with other designer makeup, and the packaging is made entirely of custom components, one of the most expensive aspects of bringing a brand to market. “The idea was to bring fun, joy, and irreverence—but with a luxury sensibility in the way that Marc Jacobs does,” said a person involved with Coty’s prestige business.

Coty and Sephora worked closely on the line, down to the product level, and the retailer will launch the brand on its websites in the U.S. and Canada in early June, and in stores in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand simultaneously in September. The return of Marc Jacobs Beauty also arrives amid a general softness in makeup and skincare at Sephora, which has prioritized artist-founded brands over the past several years. In the best-case scenario, the collection could meaningfully lift the retailer’s entire makeup business and prove that Sephora can launch a brand at a global scale. “It’s a really big deal,” the person involved with Coty added. “Fenty launched across a lot of markets, but Sephora hasn’t coordinated a big global brand launch since.”

The original Marc Jacobs Beauty was born out of LVMH’s beauty incubator, Kendo. (As was Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty.) The brand debuted in 2013 and quickly became an industry darling, but mysteriously wound down in 2021 and effectively disappeared a year later with no explanation. Coty eventually swooped in and announced in late 2023 that it would bring back makeup in two to three years—i.e., right about now.

Coty’s resurrection also bodes well for the overall Marc Jacobs brand, which, as Lauren previously reported, LVMH almost sold to the licensing giant Authentic Brands Group—a deal that ultimately fell through because Jamie Salter, ABG’s founder and C.E.O., got cold feet over the value proposition and the presumably unenviable capex required to stage Jacobsesque fashion shows. LVMH has since recommitted to the business. I’m told Bernard Arnault is “dedicated to making it work” while still being “very open to selling” if someone comes along who will pay the right price. The business isn’t doing great, but it’s not in trouble, either, and a reinvigorated beauty line could either make it more attractive to market or simply to operate within the LVMH infrastructure.

Despite its industry esteem, Marc Jacobs Beauty was never a huge business to begin with. According to Air Mail’s 2023 reporting, the definitive rendering on the topic, the line did about $20 million in sales in 2017, while another insider estimated that sales at Sephora were about twice that at its peak. But the brand’s prominence in the cultural zeitgeist always belied its modest size, and consumers are still nostalgic for the handful of beloved, since-discontinued products like Velvet Noir mascara and that gel pencil eyeliner that stayed on for days.

Alas, neither of those products is coming back (there is an eyeliner, it’s just not the same one), but it’s easy to feel optimistic about this reboot, despite the industry’s grave concerns surrounding the general state of Coty. The company’s recent struggles have been well documented, including the potential divestiture of a number of its brands; the imminent loss of Gucci, one of its most lucrative licenses; and the departure of C.E.O. Sue Nabi, who was quietly licensing her own, rather unmemorable skincare brand to Coty for the duration of her tenure. The return of Marc Jacobs Beauty could be the savior that both licensor and licensee need to revive their respective businesses, and Coty has been treating it as such.

Aside from the unique elements working in Marc Jacobs Beauty’s favor—like a true cult following from the first go-round—the category in general is just an easier buy-in than fashion. Beauty is a less considered, often impulse purchase with virtually no returns. Of course, a lot of things have to go right for this to work. It’s hard to take something that was really cool and reinvent it for an entirely different generation and retail landscape. While the new line may appeal to consumers who previously loved Marc Jacobs Beauty, many of them have probably aged out and moved on to more-sophisticated brands. Now, Coty’s betting that teens, twentysomethings, and even the oldest Alphas will be enchanted by makeup that looks more fun than anything else currently on Sephora’s shelves. If they can pull that off, Bernard may just get that billion-dollar exit after all.

Marisa Meltzer traipsed through Northern Sweden to document Prada heir Lorenzo Bertelli’s preparation for his eighth go at the Rally Sweden race car tournament. They drove through wilderness and walked in single-digit temps as Bertelli explained Pieter Mulier’s appointment at Versace, dodged questions about Prada Group’s acquisition strategy, and attempted to “detox from everyday stuff.” Being a billionaire scion naturally takes its toll. [Vanity Fair]

A week after his last shareholder letter criticizing Lululemon’s incoming C.E.O., Heidi O’Neill, founder and pseudo-activist investor Chip Wilson is back with another polemic. He’s once again urging the board to vote for his three nominees—whom he believes can help O’Neill restore creativity at the sleepy athleisure giant—at the upcoming shareholder’s meeting. Brash as he is, he’s been pretty spot-on thus far. [Chip Wilson]

Butt magazine got kicked off Instagram for what I am sure is a dumb reason. Please refollow! [Butt’s New Instagram Account]

Until tomorrow,
Lauren

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