Lizzo’s New Tour Partner; A Book on Designer Ballet Costumes
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ON TOUR: Cetaphil is ready for the big stage.
The TikTik-loved skin care brand is going on tour with Lizzo as the exclusive skin care sponsor of her North American “Special 2our,” which kicks off Friday in Knoxville, Tennessee, and comprises 17 shows, ending in June.
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“Last fall, we were on TikTok and saw a video from Lizzo in which she just authentically talked about her irritated and itchy skin due to wearing makeup on tour,” said Cetaphil’s marketing director, Katherine Rouse-Bailey, adding that it was Lizzo’s makeup artist Alexx Mayo who then recommended Cetaphil’s Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser to the singer.
“She came back to TikTok saying [the cleanser] was effective for her, and because helping people with sensitive skin is our mission, we decided that’s something we wanted to talk more with Alexx about.”
In addition to partnering with Mayo — who will be using Cetaphil products to prep Lizzo’s skin for her signature, dramatic onstage looks — Cetaphil has also tapped aesthetician René de la Garza, dermatologist Dr. Caroline Robinson and three of Lizzo’s backup dancers — dubbed The Big Grrrls — to promote and create educational content about Cetaphil’s offerings for sensitive skin throughout the duration of the tour.
“We’re focused on making sure as many consumers as possible are aware of our products, whether you get your information from a dermatologist, or if you trust your aesthetician; a makeup artist like Alexx, or one of the Big Grrrls, where it’s someone who looks like you and is relatable — we’re focusing on reaching those younger consumers, but not losing our current consumers, either,” said Rouse-Bailey.
The initiative will include a sweepstakes, which consumers can enter on the Cetaphil website on April 25 for a chance to win airfare and tickets to the three-day Governer’s Ball Music Festival in June, which Lizzo is headlining.
“We’ve never sponsored a makeup artist in this way as part of an overall tour, and we wanted to make sure that, yes, consumers are getting that education to our products, but also we want to be fun and get the energy and excitement going about this effort,” said Rouse-Bailey. — NOOR LOBAD
CHOREO & COUTURE: Fashion designers and the dance world have been intertwined for years. This fall, Rizzoli will publish a new book featuring photographs of 10 years of fashion designers’ collaborations with the New York City Ballet.
Called “New York City Ballet Choreography & Couture,” by Marc Happel, NYCB director of costumes, the 208-page book features 250 black-and-white and color images by award-winning New Yorker photographer Pari Dukovic.
The photography book showcases the nearly 30 designer and choreographer collections that have premiered at NYCB’s annual Fall Fashion Gala, which was initiated in 2012, when the company collaborated with Valentino, as well as the craftsmanship of the NYCB Costume Shop, which has executed these couture stage designs over the last 10 years.
Among the designs featured are Thom Browne’s tailored suits, tweaked to accommodate the movement of dancers; Iris van Herpen’s reflective carapaces, which radically altered the dancers’ form; the lavishly ombre and embellished splendor of Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen designs; and the late Virgil Abloh’s ruched tulle, a completely modern use of a textile so closely tied to the history of dance costumes. Other designers featured include Dries Van Noten, Carolina Herrera, Christopher John Rogers, Zac Posen and Raf Simons.
Happel includes the designers’ original costume drawings, their personal observations about the inspiration and technical accommodations required by these collaborations, and dancers’ reflections about performing in these ensembles.
Dukovic shot 127 handmade costumes on 11 dancers in six days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those showcasing the designs in motion are NYCB dancers Olivia Boisson, India Bradley, Chun Wai Chan, Jovani Furlan, Gonzalo Garcia, Christopher Grant, Alec Knight, Sara Mearns, Miriam Miller, Mira Nadon and Mimi Staker.
The book has an introduction by Happel and a foreword by Sarah Jessica Parker, who conceived of the Fall Fashion Gala in 2012, and essays by Vogue fashion editor Tonne Goodman and Patricia Mears of The Museum at FIT. The hardcover book sells for $55 and will be released in September. — LISA LOCKWOOD
SUSTAINABLE SEARCHES: Eco shampoo bars, organic face serum and eco-friendly toys top sustainable bestsellers on Alibaba, according to a new report.
In the U.S., searches for sustainability continue, according to a sustainability trend report released Thursday from the e-commerce giant. As of March 2022, Alibaba Group’s consumer-facing businesses in China reached a historic high of more than 1 billion active users.
The company’s year-over-year trend growth showed that categories like personal care and household cleaning (up 56.9 percent), beauty (up 47.6 percent), household kitchen wares (up 45.4 percent), mother and baby goods (up 41.6 percent) and household appliances (up 34.9 percent), are leading sustainable searches.
Overall, Alibaba.com saw an 88 percent global increase in search terms such as “sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” “biodegradable,” “zero-waste,” “renewable,” “organic” and “reusable” year-over-year. The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany were leading the sustainable product purchases by country.
The company vets its more than 200 million products and 200,000 suppliers per a number of recognized certifications, among them the Global Recycle Standard, Forest Stewardship Council, U.S. Department of Agriculture, European Union’s Restriction of Chemicals, it said.
Rah Mahtani, U.S. chief marketing officer for Alibaba.com, expressed excitement for the uptick in sustainable product demand.
“We have been extremely encouraged to see such a significant increase in both search and purchase of eco-friendly products,” said Mahtani in a statement. “Sustainable buying from the end consumer has a ripple effect in the broader global supply chain and we encourage our buyers to make product decisions that best fit the needs of their customers. In this case, it’s a bigger focus on sustainable products. We’re pleased that Alibaba.com has become a reliable, central location for buyers to find more than 6 million sustainable sourcing and products worldwide.” — KALEY ROSHITSH
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