Exclusive: Peter Philips Releases His First Collection and Campaign for Dior Beauty

There are few things that excite this jaded beauty editor, but when Peter Philips releases his first cosmetics collection and campaign for Dior, you wait with bated breath. Seeing as the maquillage master was behind some of the most successful products and creative projects at Chanel (such as the memorable makeup robots that quickly went viral), the bar was set high. True to form, however, the pro didn’t disappoint.

Philips backstage at Resort '16
Photo: Courtesy of Dior


Editors received a sneak peek at the Cosmopolite range—a venture the newly minted creative and image director for Dior Makeup started his first week on the job—backstage at the house’s Fall ’15 show in Paris, but today marks the release of the film developed in tandem with Pierre Debusschere. “It was like my baptism in the company,” said Philips of the 22-piece line that was “in synch” with Raf Simons’ vision for fashion. “I discovered that the Dior woman is a multifaceted woman, and whatever shape or form she appears, she’s always hyper-feminine, but she has many faces—there’s not just one Dior woman.” These plural forms of femininity are reflected via three types of lighting in the ad: scanning light (used to create fluid transitions between shots), moving mirror light (to create shadow and light on the face), and pure light (to capture the fresh and luminous qualities of the makeup). When combined through a process known as visual layering, the result is a seamless stream of images that appears to morph into one another.

Behind the scenes at the Fall '15 show
Photo: Sonny Vandevelde / Indigitalimages.com


“Frozen images are beautiful and capture a moment, but you lose a little bit of the effect of shine and luminosity,” said Philips. “If a girl moves, you see how a lip gloss, skin texture, glow on the cheek, or a sparkle on the eye comes alive. With a moving image, you can see the light caressing the skin and capturing and reflecting the essence of a makeup product.” In the 32-second video spot, every iteration of the Dior woman—“natural,” “conceptual,” “sensual”—is on display. And the line is designed to help a woman achieve “her” look (whatever that may be on any given day) through a comprehensive array of shades, including “neutrals” like khaki and plum, or “highlight” hues such as vivid navy and silver, and various textures. (The formula we already have on heavy rotation: Dior Addict Fluid Shadow, which can be used all over the lid or rimmed close to the lashes for a mirrored effect similar to liner stickers developed for the Fall ’14 Couture show.)

The look for Fall '15
Photo: Sonny Vandevelde / Indigitalimages.com


Going forward, Philips stressed the importance of innovating in terms of visuals but thinking digitally. “The Internet made beauty, among other things, democratic and available,” he said. “It’s moving—it’s almost alive.” Similar to the ever-evolving Dior woman captured on camera by Debusschere, life never remains static—and neither should your makeup.

Pieces from the Cosmopolite collection: Dior 5 Couleurs Cosmopolite Eyeshadow in Exubérante and Eclectic ($63), Vernis in Metropolis and Cosmopolite ($27), Addict Fluid Shadow in Magnetic ($31), and Rouge Dior Lipstick in Unique ($35), available at dior.com this month.

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