YSL Beauty's Stephan Bezy: Dua Lipa Represents Modern Femininity

Dua Lipa, British pop sensation and the global brand ambassador of Yves Saint Laurent Beauty's (YSL Beauty) Libre perfume since 2019, is expanding her role to include ambassadorship for the brand's make-up line. This new expanded partnership, which comes as Lipa is set to release her third album, will kick off with the launch of an advertisement campaign. The campaign will feature the new YSL Loveshine lipstick collection and Candy Glaze lip gloss stick. In preparation for the campaign, YSL Beauty has rebooted its Instagram account, boasting over 11 million followers globally, starting today to post afresh. YSL Beauty, part of L’Oréal’s luxury division, is operational in 60 countries and is considered one of L’Oréal's leading brands. The international general manager of the brand, Stephan Bezy, shared his views with FashionNetwork.com regarding the campaign.

FashionNetwork.com: Dua Lipa, the face for YSL Beauty's Libre perfume since 2019, is now also the face for your make-up line. What led to this decision?

Stephan Bezy: YSL Beauty makes it a point to partner with ambassadors who genuinely embody our brand DNA and core values of courage, freedom, and self-expression. Our brand has always had a close relationship with the music and art world, demonstrated by our ongoing associations with cultural icons like Lenny Kravitz, Zoe Kravitz, Austin Butler, and now Dua Lipa. This partnership expansion with Dua Lipa is a natural progression resulting from our successful collaboration since 2019. She was initially the face of the Libre scent range, and now represents our make-up line globally. Known to be a generational icon and cultural figure, Dua Lipa epitomizes the modern-day femininity we value.

FNW: Is this expansion a strategy to appeal to the highly sought-after Generation Z?

SB: In the words of Yves Saint Laurent himself, ‘I participated in the transformation of my era.’ Upkeeping its traditions, YSL Beauty perpetually pushes the envelopes of beauty, innovation, and self-expression. Our values chime with all generations, particularly Generation Z, as we continuously challenge the conventional, ushering in fresh expressions of beauty for the present and future. YSL Beauty aspires to represent not just the younger generations but also those who are eternally young. We view change, challenges, and innovation not as threats but as sources of motivation.

FNW: Can you tell us about the structure of this new campaign?

SB: Our biggest launch of 2024, YSL Loveshine, is accompanied by an aggressive awareness campaign. This includes visibility across outdoor media, television, social media, and digital content, ensuring all-year-round coverage. To mark this launch as a period of reinvention and boldness, we have temporarily wiped out our social media content.

FNW: Which are the strongest markets and top-performing categories for YSL Beauty?

SB: YSL Beauty offers a rich and diversified portfolio across all three product categories it operates in - perfumes, make-up, and skincare. For instance, we hold third place internationally in the fragrance sector, fifth in make-up, and seventh overall globally. We have a lineup of iconic products across all categories, like Libre, Y, Black Opium, and Myslf in fragrances; Rouge Pur Couture The Bold lipstick and Cushion Encre de Peau foundation in make-up; and Pure Shots Night Reboot serum and Or Rouge Essential Cream in skincare.