Peter Philips is a Belgian makeup artist and a creative leader in the field, infusing high fashion with surprising influences and new ideas. Launching himself alongside young and radical photographers in London, Philips’ work has grown widely recognized for its cutting-edge sophistication. He has gained international notoriety for his imaginative and bold vision of feminine beauty and is in constant demand for his unique perspective.
Philips was born in Antwerp, Belgium. After obtaining a degree in graphic design while attending school in Brussels, he returned to education to study fashion at Antwerp’s Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts. In his final year as a fashion student, he was introduced to makeup while working backstage at Paris Fashion Week.
After graduating in 1993, Philips built up his portfolio by doing test shoots with aspiring photographers and stylists, including Willy Vanderperre, and Olivier Rizzo. A pivotal moment in Philips’ career came at a Raf Simons shoot, when he drew a Mickey Mouse face onto a model in perfect scale.
He came to the attention of Karl Lagerfeld while the designer was at Fendi’s helm, and was eventually invited to meet the then creative directors of Chanel Make-up, Heidi Morawetz and Dominique Moncourtois, who had jointly held the position for more than 30 years.
Chanel Makeup appointed Philips its creative director in 2008, a position described by Vogue magazine as the “most coveted job in cosmetics”. Philips is credited with the reinvigoration of the fashion house’s beauty division, his range of trend-setting collections included the 2009 sell-out nail polish colour Jade Le Vernis – a bottle of which was reportedly resold on eBay for $100. He was also noted for his use of unusual materials, incorporating feathers, pearls, and fabrics into his looks. For Chanel’s spring 2014 show, he designed a well-received selection of eye makeup in “bold swipes of color” made from common fingerpaints. In February 2013, Philips stepped down as creative director of Chanel Make-Up.
In March 2014, It was announced that Philips was designated the new creative and image director for Dior makeup, replacing Pat McGrath in her previous role of overseeing the makeup looks for upcoming Dior fashion shows.
Philips has worked with leading photographers Craig McDean, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin and Steven Klein, among others, to create editorial features for French, Italian and American Vogue, AnOther Magazine, i-D, and W.
He has also contributed to fashion campaigns for Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Jil Sander, as well as to beauty campaigns for Armani, Chanel and Estée Lauder.
He is represented by Art + Commerce and you can find his portfolio HERE
