Isabel Marant is no stranger to a high street collaboration, having brought her Parisian boho style to H&M in 2013. But her latest partnership will take her into new territory: Marant has created a cosmetic range for L’Oréal that takes in her love for the American West and her commitment to low-maintenance ‘French girl’ beauty. We caught up with the designer to ask her about it.

What made you choose to work with a beauty brand?

L’Oréal Paris has always been such a beautiful representation of French beauty, and after their collaboration with Balmain, I was so inspired to see how many ways fashion can be brought into cosmetics.

What was the process of creating the collection like?

It felt very organic. My main vision was to create something that embodied natural beauty, but still embraced our joy in playing with make-up. The first step was creating a line of lipsticks called Smile that suit every skintone, starting with classic, rich reds. Next came the Amaze lip and cheek tint and Smoke eyeshadow palette with a rich, beetle wing-inspired green shade. 

Where did you get your inspiration from?

There’s definitely a ‘French girl’ look and energy – it’s a blend of looking natural and effortless but having such self-confidence. I mixed the Western-influenced look for my a/w 2018 show with classic Parisian beauty for a modern twist on both. The lipstick shade names demonstrate this mix – like La Butte Marshall and Pigalle Western – and slogans on the packaging say things like, ‘It’s a hold-up!’

What’s your favourite product in the range?

The lipstick. When I’m feeling run down or not confident, I can swipe on a bright red like Palais Royal Field and feel enlightened and inspired. Second is the clear mascara – it grooms my eyebrows and subtly opens up my lashes.

Why did you name the collection Wanted?

Because it’s something that you’ll want… I hope!

The new limited edition L’Oreal Paris X Isabel Marant is available at feelunique.com

Image: Pixeleyes