François Nars is one of the world’s most successful makeup artists. Born in the south of France, Nars’ affluent parents exposed their child to fashion at a young age. Nars’ mother Claudette encouraged her son’s interest in the industry, taking her talented son with her on appointments with Paris’ greatest makeup artists, in order to secure him his first assistant role with Olivier Echaudemaison.
The Frenchman broke into editorial in 1984 with the support and encouragement of then Vogue fashion editor Polly Mellen, in New York in the 1980s. Nars and Steven Meisel regularly collaborated, and along with Oribe Canales, the trio’s shared aesthetic soon dominated and continued to be prominent in the aesthetic of fashion photography in the period.
He came to prominence through doing Marc Jacobs’ show, after the designer left Perry Ellis to start his own label. Nars’ created some of the period’s most memorable makeup looks, including Anna Sui’s 1992 show, in which Nars shaved off Kristen McMenamy’s eyebrows.
François Nars launched his own makeup line, Nars Cosmetics, in 1994. The line began with 12 lipsticks, sold exclusively at Barneys New York in sleek black packaging designed by Fabien Baron. Nars shot the brands first advertising campaign in 1996, an experience that would lead him to embark on a secondary career as a photographer. The Frenchman has shot editorial for numerous publications, including Vogue Japan.
Shiseido—one of the oldest cosmetics companies in the world—aquired Nars Cosmetics in 2000. He still worked for Vogue with some of the most famous top models who posed for his ad campaigns.
He returned to the runway in 2009, after a 10 year break, collaborating with his old friend Marc Jacobs to create 65 individual looks.
You can visit his makeup brand’s website HERE
