{"id":1392,"date":"2020-03-27T16:42:24","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T05:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=170550"},"modified":"2021-03-15T16:42:54","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T16:42:54","slug":"from-antwerp-with-love-and-lipstick","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/from-antwerp-with-love-and-lipstick\/","title":{"rendered":"From Antwerp, With Love (and Lipstick)"},"content":{"rendered":"

GRAZIA<\/em> talks to Peter Philips, the Creative and Image Director at Christian Dior Makeup<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s not really any knowing what lies ahead. It\u2019s a new decade and there\u2019s a new mood. New thought patterns, new waves of expression, new guards and new norms. Beauty is one such industry that\u2019s driven by this newness, be it behaviors, technology, consumer habits or trends.<\/p>\n

Over the past ten years, beauty has been picked apart and stitched back together, emerging a more democratic, transparent and innovative version of itself. Some will say there\u2019s still work to be done (and they would be right), but there\u2019s no doubt the industry as it exists is in a constant state of flux. It ebbs and flows, peaks and troughs. But the one constant in all the chaos is a bold, unwavering, intrepid force of creativity. Society often codifies beauty as superfluous or vapid, but when you get to the crux of it, it\u2019s a platform for art, for expression and for creation.<\/p>\n

When it comes to dissecting this creativity, it\u2019s only through the far-reaching lens of certain visionaries that we might get a glimpse into the other side, both behind the scenes and beyond the present moment. Here,\u00a0GRAZIA<\/em> explores future beauty through the eyes of one of the best: Creative and Image Director at Christian Dior Makeup<\/a> Peter Philips<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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A custom face chart by Peter Philips for GRAZIA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dior 5 COULEURS EYESHADOW PALETTE IN 647 UNDRESS<\/a>, PUMP\u2019N\u2019VOLUME HD MASCARA<\/a>, ON STAGE LINER IN 781 MATTE BROWN<\/a> (On Eyes), DIOR ADDICT STELLAR SHINE IN 518<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMakeup is like ice cream,\u201d says Peter Philips over the phone from Paris. \u201cYou don\u2019t need it to survive, but it\u2019s very nice to have.\u201d It\u2019s an interesting analogy, but also an unsurprising one given that Philips, the Creative and Image Director at Christian Dior Makeup, has a reputation for being not only one of the smartest figures in beauty, but also the sweetest. Early on, Philips knew he wanted a career that would see him flex his creative muscles. He just wasn\u2019t entirely sure which ones. \u201cI was born in Antwerp. My parents encouraged me to go to art school, so I went to Antwerp Academy. I wanted to be a fashion designer. That was the dream,\u201d says Philips.<\/p>\n

The revered conservatoire was known as the incubator of some of the world\u2019s finest artisans and creative forces in fashion and art: Vincent Van Gogh, Martin Margiela, Dries Van Noten are all reported alumni. \u201cI was 24 when I was called to Paris as a dresser during Fashion Week. We would sneak into other shows, it was my first taste of backstage and I was like, \u2018Oh my god,\u2019\u201d Philips muses down the phone. \u201cI was just an 80s kid and it was a party backstage. Everybody was so happy; models were running in late\u2026it was tense but beautiful, a beautiful sense of excitement. That\u2019s when I knew being backstage was where I wanted to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Philips got his degree in fashion design (one of nine graduates) and went straight into the world of makeup \u2013 a first at the time. \u201cI did a little course of basic techniques but I didn\u2019t even finish it,\u201d he says. \u201cI had just graduated and in my arrogance I thought, \u2018I don\u2019t need to pay money for this, I can do it myself.\u2019 At the end of the day, most of what I knew was from watching my mother and grandmother in the bathroom at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Philips worked in a restaurant to save money before a small agency in Belgium agreed to represent him. \u201cI literally said, \u2018Hello I\u2019m Peter Philips and I want to be a makeup artist,\u2019\u201d he remembers. \u201cThey thought I was crazy.\u201d Three weeks in, he got booked for his first shoot \u2013 a mere four days away. \u201cIt was two girls, and I realized I was also doing the hair. I said, \u2018No problem,\u2019 but straight away called my mum and begged her to help me. She called a salon and said \u2018My son needs a crash course.\u2019 It was such a panic. I learned to blow dry and set rollers in one day. Apparently, if I could do that, I could do anything,\u201d laughed Philips. \u201cThe next day, I went out and bought a dryer, mousse, gel, a comb. I was so stressed out on that job, but the hair turned out wonderfully. Although it took me ages\u2026. I had literally 10 minutes to do the makeup.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the adrenaline-fueled adventures of the 90s, Philips\u2019 career went from strength to strength. Chanel came calling, but he departed in 2014 to step into his current position at Dior \u2013 a post ubiquitous with stellar displays of art in both product development, campaigns and on the runway. The conceptual, clockwork orange razor eyeliner at Dior\u2019s Haute Couture Spring 2018 show? Philips. The hyper-bronzed, brow-skimming shadow at Dior\u2019s Resort show in 2017? Philips. The slash of graffiti-inspired neon green across the male visage at Men\u2019s Pre-Fall 2020 show in Miami? Philips, Philips, Philips!<\/p>\n

A visionary in the game of beautiful imagery, Philips approaches his post at Dior with logic and a level head: he sees beauty (for lack of a better word) in the entirety of his work. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about being an artist who is creative with color, there is creativity in numbers, there\u2019s a creativity in mathematics, a creativity in a very rational way and a very passionate way,\u201d he says. \u201cOnce that\u2019s settled, I can play.\u201d Take the brand\u2019s newly launched Lip Glow Oil: it hits certain markers like ease of use, universal color appeal and that feeling of got-to-have-it synonymous with luxury beauty. It\u2019s decidedly Philips and decidedly Dior: functional, all flattering, but still an object to be desired.<\/p>\n

Similarly, on the runway, it\u2019s never the Peter Philips show, but rather a cog in the far-reaching fashion week wheel: \u201cI consider myself always at the service of the fashion designer. The catwalk is not mine, I am part of an army.\u201d With modesty one of his many attributes, anyone in the beauty industry can attest to Philips\u2019 sense of power when it comes to runway shows: deeply-inspired, interesting, resourceful looks (like the Judy Blame-inspired couture snap eye embellishments at the Dior Men\u2019s Fall 2020 show \u2013 \u201cgreat low budget makeup\u201d he chuckles). He navigates the balance between beauty and fashion with finesse even when, to use Philips\u2019 words, designers \u201csometimes speak in riddles.\u201d Such is fashion!<\/p>\n

For the man who eschewed a prestigious fashion diploma for beauty, it\u2019s safe to assume his heart is in his work. \u201cI am very passionate about what I do, what I know is a craft, what I do is a craft,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople always refer to it as an art, but I see it more as a craft because you work with your tools. You use your creativity, but to do this is not just a creative or fun pursuit\u2026 it is a practical thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

We\u2019re now closer to 2050 than we are to 1990, so how has the world of beauty and art, according to Peter Philips, changed since those days cutting teeth in Antwerp? \u201cEverything is different except for one thing. People still want to feel beautiful,\u201d he says, before adding, \u201cWhen I started out, I felt a little like a therapist. Makeup was a problem to be solved. I had to provide solutions. People were scared and not properly informed. But through social media, beauty has become more democratic. More accessible. Foundation isn\u2019t scary. Lipstick is not just for brides and actresses. People are exchanging their expertise, they\u2019re sharing information \u2013 good and bad. It\u2019s a strange time in the world, and I think makeup is a tool to express yourself, which is important. At Dior, we want our message to be the right one. We want our products to be of the highest quality. I see it myself when I wander Sephora. Customers understand. They know what they want, and what they don\u2019t want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Philips is thoughtful as we wrap up an hour-long conversation. \u201cI follow my gut. I listen and look, because I don\u2019t design for myself,\u201d he says. \u201cI have to keep my eyes and my ears open and be alert and see what\u2019s happening.\u201d His closing words are some of the best I\u2019ve heard when it comes to wrapping up an old decade and ushering in a new one: \u201cAt the end of the day what we do, our business, we don\u2019t save lives. Beauty is a luxury! And for me, beauty is an absolute pleasure\u2026 just like ice cream!\u201d<\/p>\n

All products featured on GRAZIA are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Grazia may earn an affiliate commission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5526,"featured_media":1393,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[30,16],"yoast_head":"\nFrom Antwerp, With Love (and Lipstick) - Grazia USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/from-antwerp-with-love-and-lipstick\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From Antwerp, With Love (and Lipstick)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GRAZIA talks to Peter Philips, the Creative and Image Director at Christian Dior Makeup There\u2019s not really any knowing what lies ahead. 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