EXCLUSIVE: Armani Names Hiromi Ueda as Global Makeup Artist
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PARIS — Hiromi Ueda has been named Armani’s new global makeup artist.
In the role, she succeeds Linda Cantello, who started at the brand in 2009.
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“What fascinates me about Hiromi Ueda, the new Armani global makeup artist, is her measure, her innate sense of balance and her grace, which all translate into powerful expression,” said Giorgio Armani. “I find inner strength in her subtle use of color and her ability to make a face glow with a few skillful touches. My special thanks go to Linda Cantello for so many years of close collaboration, as well as her constant dedication and vision, which I have always admired.”
Ueda is no stranger to Armani. She has worked with the designer for six months as a guest makeup artist at the most recent Armani Privé couture and Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani ready-to-wear fashion shows.
“It is an honor to work with such an iconic, legendary designer,” said Ueda. “He has got really strong vision and directs his team clearly.”
Ueda explained Armani often gave her images of what he wanted for makeup looks. She would bring them home and create sketches with colors as propositions. The designer then would observe how the makeup, clothing and lighting all worked together.
“He cares so much about harmony and balance in choosing together what’s going to work best for the look for the collection, which is very interesting to me,” said Ueda.
She has been involved in the brand’s most recent campaigns, too.
“I’ve always admired Giorgio Armani’s beauty approach,” Ueda told WWD. “Like he famously said: ‘Beauty comes first from within.’ That very much resonates with my own philosophy of beauty.
From an early age, growing up in Japan, she was always reminded of the importance of cultivating inner beauty, she said. “So revealing unique beauty, rather than masking or hiding [it], this Armani beauty approach is really similar to mine,” said Ueda.
With color cosmetics, she loves to bring out the best in a person, enhancing their own beauty.
In product development, Ueda plans to bring her experience gleaned from working in the fashion and beauty industries over the past two decades.
“I know what works best for individual people, different skin types and skin tones, and different cultural preferences,” said Ueda. “I want to bring my artistry into this brand.”
She offers her own cultural vantage point, too.
“I’ve got experience in eastern culture and been in London for the last 20 years,” said Ueda, who believes this year the trend for beauty will return to naturalism, rather than be about minimalism.
“Armani beauty is going to be perfect for bringing out that beautiful, polished, understated luxury makeup,” said Ueda.
The Osaka-born makeup artist moved to the U.K. at age 23, after a year of studying English and literature there.
“When I started doing makeup, it was by chance,” said Ueda, who began making friends in the fashion industry. “They influenced me. I always loved beauty. I always loved fashion.”
She experimented with makeup on herself and friends.
“It was more like a hobby, and then I wanted to make it into my profession,” said Ueda, who next enrolled in London’s Westminster College to learn the basics.
Ueda began assisting — ultimately for marquee makeup artists such as Alex Box, Diane Kendal and Petros Petrohilos.
A pivotal moment came when Ueda worked with photographer David Sims, in 2015, for an Arena Homme+ editorial. Other collaborations followed, including working with the likes of Paolo Roversi, Craig McDean, Karim Sadli, Lachlan Bailey, Sølve Sundsbø, Alasdair McLellan, Collier Schorr, Rafael Pavarotti, Carlijn Jacobs and Johnny Dufort.
Ueda’s work has appeared in publications such as French, Italian and British Vogue, i-D, Dazed, AnOther and Mastermind.
Armani’s beauty and fragrance business is licenced to L’Oréal and has been producing makeup for 24 years, starting with a focus on foundation. The color collection was initially created in collaboration with makeup artist Pat McGrath.
An iconic Armani makeup product is Luminous Silk Foundation, which last year for the first time ranked among the five bestselling foundations worldwide. It figures in the top 10 in markets such as the U.S., European Union, U.K., Spain and Germany, according to combined data from Circana U.S. and EU, and Beauté Research Asia. The product’s top-five countries are the U.S., U.K., Germany, Australia and Canada.
More than 5,000 units of Luminous Silk Foundation are sold daily, according to Armani Beauty and L’Oréal estimates.
In the lip segment, Armani’s pillar product is Lip Maestro Satin, of which an estimated 17,000-plus units are sold each day.
The product’s five best geographic markets are China, travel retail Asia, South Korea, the U.S. and Hong Kong. It has the fastest-growing sales of China’s top five lipsticks.
Other Armani Beauty top sellers include Powder Fabric foundation, Eyes to Kill mascara, Eye Tint eye shadow, Lip Maestro liquid lipstick and Lip Power lipstick.
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