EXCLUSIVE: Isamaya Ffrench to Host L.A. Pop-ups, Introduces New Cosmetics Collection, ‘Wild Star’
Isamaya Ffrench is coming to Los Angeles.
The British makeup artist, making waves for her innovative creations, is hosting pop-ups around L.A. to preview her new collection, “Wild Star,” as part of her namesake cosmetic brand Isamaya.
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Held from Friday to Sunday, the first day will be at Rcnstrct Studio on Melrose Avenue from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday are at the Silverlake Flea and Animal House in Venice Beach, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., respectively.
“I’m assuming everyone’s going to be a little surprised about it, because, you know, it’s very, very different to the ‘Industrial’ collection,” said Ffrench.
Her first collection featured a grunge and punk-inspired palette with soft mattes and metallics. With “Wild Star,” the colors are brighter, with pinks, purples, warmer tones and nudes.
With a decade of experience in the industry, Ffrench has quite the résumé. In 2020 she was named global beauty director of Burberry Beauty. She’s behind Byredo’s makeup line, has consulted at Tom Ford, YSL Beauty and Christian Louboutin and has worked with the likes of Rihanna, Madonna and Bella Hadid.
Collaborating with photographer and videographer Steven Klein, Ffrench brings to life a world around the collections. “Industrial” was important for her debut, she said, because of its boldness. It stood apart from the typical commercial beauty offerings and ads. Now with “Wild Star,” she’s introducing a more feminine glamour.
“Something will come into my head, and I will become obsessed by the idea of it,” she said of inspiration. She then dives into research, imagining the line and theme, from the pigments to the packaging and art direction.
“Rhinestone cowgirls” came to mind for “Wild Star.”
Ffrench showcases five new products: a 12-color $105 palette in a gilded-gold reusable case embellished with rhinestones (inspired by antique brooches); a $50 glittering lipstick in three shades infused with vitamin E; a $26 velvety, waterproof lipliner in three shades; a $42 highlighter with a pearl finish, made with shea butter, jojoba oil and retinol-mimicking alfalfa complex, and a $39 inky-black mascara in a curved hourglass brush. The entirety is priced at $250, launching for preorder Thursday and out in December/January (no date set yet).
It’s “rodeo-glam” with “glimmering eyes, fluttery lashes, glistening skin and dazzling lips,” Ffrench notes of the line.
Celebrating in the U.S. was a no-brainer, she added. “If I think about a cowgirl, I think of America.”
