Amidst hundreds of stalls showcasing the latest in streetwear and sneakers, makeup and skincare were on display at this year’s ComplexCon.
Taking place November 19-20 in Long Beach, California, ComplexCon included booths from beauty brands like Urban Decay, Topicals and Dieux. Still a rare category at the streetwear convention, beauty brands seized the opportunity to launch new products, offer ready-made social sharing activities, and tap into the growing connections between the world of streetwear and beauty.
“ComplexCon, for us, is a space that is not yet awash in beauty. We want to be one of the first brands that can really put down roots here and show that we can thrive in this sneaker culture,” said Kyla Wright, vice president of brand partnerships and culture at Urban Decay. “We have a stiletto heel on one foot and a high top on the other.”
As a sponsor of ComplexCon, Urban Decay presented their second booth at the event to celebrate their Naked palette collaboration with pop artist Robin Eisenberg. Featuring paintings and a large custom Eisenberg mural, the booth also incorporated an AR component: patrons could access a “Space Invaders”-themed game featuring Eisenberg’s artwork by scanning a QR code on the wall. Those who posted their score on Instagram using the campaign hashtag received a free Eisenberg-print gift bag and a sample of Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray, while lucky winners received a “golden ticket” on the back. from their stamping they received the palette itself. .
Dieux co-founder and CEO Charlotte Palermino had a similar sentiment about the skincare brand’s booth at the event, which had a long line of visitors waiting for an aura photo and reading. free. “We chose ComplexCon because we don’t see a lot of beauty brands here” and “it’s a convention that’s all about shopping and discovery,” she said.
For the participating beauty brands, it was important to have a cultural fit with the hypebeast crowd and aesthetic. Returning to the convention for the second year in a row, skincare brand Topicals opted for a bright winery-themed pop-up showcasing their full assortment of products as well as Luna Magic makeup brands. and Thread. Celebrities and influencers who stopped by the booth to take photos included streetwear fashion influencer Aleali May, musician Trinidad James and “Life of Kylie” star Jordyn Woods and her twin Jodie.
“Topicals is more about the community of women than just [being] a brand,” said founder and CEO Olamide Olowe.
According to Wright, Urban Decay’s collaboration with pop artist Eisenberg was “totally Gen Z” as it was “something fun and colorful and engaging”.
“I love drawing powerful alien women,” said Eisenberg, who was on hand at the booth to greet fans. He said beauty influencers have been using the Urban Decay palette to create looks that resemble the characters in his paintings. “I never thought I would see my art like this, in the form of makeup.”
The ComplexCon collaboration and booth were part of Urban Decay’s ongoing strategy to “explore different paths” and “break out of the beauty space” with new kinds of influencers like artists, said Emma Hernandez, manager of public relations and partnerships. Urban Decay brand.
Like streetwear brands, participating beauty brands took advantage of the event to launch never-before-seen products. Dieux allowed users to try out the brand’s new eye cream due to launch later this month, while Topicals took advantage of the event to preview their Faded eye masks that launched on Monday.
Beauty has been creating growing links with the world of streetwear in recent years, with brands like Supreme and Off-White launching beauty products. At ComplexCon, KNC Beauty and Revlon have also sponsored activations in previous years.
The founders of the participating beauty brands said there is growing interest in skincare in the world of streetwear, including among men.
“We can thank Pharrell for starting this conversation a few years ago,” Palermino said, referring to Pharrell Williams’ streetwear-adjacent skincare brand, Humanrace. The cultural director and chair of the host committee for the first ComplexCon in 2016, Williams himself wasn’t there this year, but his Billionaire Boys’ Club fashion label maintained a prominent booth near the show’s entrance. A public relations representative for the Billionaire Boys’ Club and Humanrace said the skincare brand could be present at future ComplexCons.
At the Dieux stand, the co-founder of the brand Marta Freedman said the brand was seeing a lot of enthusiastic male visitors stopping by to try out the new eye cream. Dieux co-founders and other reps were on hand to hand out free sets of the brand’s cult $25 eye masks and answer questions about the new eye cream. According to Freedman, the event was a good opportunity to teach a male audience about the brand.
“Men are a little afraid of having a routine. And when they see three or four products, it can feel a little more manageable,” he said, referring to the brand’s current assortment of products.
For beauty brand founders, the event also provided an opportunity to connect with brands in other categories.
“This is our foray into the world of streetwear,” Freedman said. “There are some fashion brands that we have in mind for collaborations, so I’m trying to manifest that.”
Source: news.google.com