Renowned for her playful, other-worldly and sometimes avant-garde touch, Isamaya Ffrench has been named as Christian Louboutin Beauté’s new Global Make-Up Ambassador.
Speaking exclusively to Vogue, Ffrench told us, “When I first met Christian Louboutin, I felt very drawn to his way of speaking about women and beauty. Individuality, integrity and intelligence are at the heart of his aesthetic…it’s really nice to work with Christian Louboutin the person.”
“When you work with a brand, you don’t always meet the individual behind it all, so working with Christian Louboutin Beauté feels very warm and inclusive,” she continued. “Did I mention that his office is amazing? It’s like walking into a museum, I love it!”
Despite Ffrench’s effortless talent for painting faces, it took her a while to find make-up as a career. “Believe it or not, make-up was probably the last step in my development as a creative person. When I was younger, I spent about 18 years in dance and theatre, and at university I studied industrial design while simultaneously working with theatre companies. For a time, I even worked as a kid’s face painter,” she told us.
Since then, Ffrench’s career has gone from strength to strength, with a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 under her belt, as well as handful of international Vogue covers, including British Vogue’s 2018 September issue starring Rihanna.
Rihanna wears a tulle Prada dress, a lace Savage X Fenty body and Prada gloves, with hair by Yusef Williams and make-up by Isamaya Ffrench
Nick Knight
Of her passion for the self-expression of make-up, Ffrench said, “I still love the performative element of make-up, and how it can be a bit escapist in the most wonderful way. Everyone has their own personal instinct of what beauty means to them, and I think it has more to do with an emotion than an aesthetic.”
We’re expecting incredible imagery and experimental, luxurious products from this beauty pairing. And Ffrench is adamant that she will keep things playful: “I think a sense of humour is important in everything, really. Why be so serious? Make-up is temporary, it should be fun and make you feel good. Christian Louboutin has a sense of intelligence in his playfulness that is naturally just fun and funny, and I can’t wait to help bring that out in our work together.”
