M.A.C
A MAKE UP BRAND DEFINED BY APPRECIATION OF INDIVIDUALITY, ARTISTRY, AND SELF EXPRESSION.
M·A·C was established in
Toronto when makeup artist and photographer, Frank Toskan and beauty salon
owner, Frank Angelo brainstormed a makeup line. Frustrated because of the lack
of colours that would shoot well with photography; their aim was to develop a
studio line makeup line that would fulfill their professional needs. M·A·C was
homegrown in Canada – literally. The two entrepreneurs cooked up the cosmetics
in their kitchen and sold them from the hair salon. Their first customers:
fellow makeup artists, models, photographers…then came stylists and editors.
With every colour, and every magazine credit, word-of-mouth popularity grew. In
March 1984, the duo officially launched the line from a single counter in a
department store in Toronto.
It was staffed with professional makeup artists, an industry innovation.
Package-wise, it stood out too: it was chic utility. Everything came in black
pots rather than compacts. One of the most popular new offerings was an intense
matte red lipstick that was used on a photo shoot with a New York cabaret star
named Madonna, later photographed wearing a M·A·C T-shirt, the revolution was
on. While other major makeup brands were predominantly skincare companies,
M·A·C chose instead to establish itself as the ultimate colour authority.
The company took the industry by storm, offering a wide range of products that
managed to blend street savvy with glamorous style and panache. Behind the
counter, the M·A·C approach was notably different. It was the first brand in
cosmetic history to invest in the training and education of its staff as well
as the customer’s point-of-sale experience. Rather than driving sales through
traditional advertising, gifts-with-purchase promotions and heavy sampling,
M·A·C relied on the integrity of its carefully formulated product line. Adding
to the image was a touch of outrageousness. A company that honored
individuality and self-expression above all else, this leaning inevitably
brought a brilliant sense of drag and theatre into the sleek M·A·C stores and
department store counters. In 1994, as AIDS spread across the globe, M·A·C’s
co-founders searched for a way to respond to the epidemic. Encouraged by input
from employees, they decided to make HIV/AIDS organizations the beneficiaries
of the company’s charitable focus: the M·A·C AIDS Fund was born. To date,
through various fundraising initiatives such as Viva Glam, “Kids Helping Kids
Greeting Cards” and with the help of celebrity spokespeople from the
entertainment and fashion industries.
The company’s strong bond with its customers, intimate relationships with
professional makeup artists, hip and irreverent attitude and impressive array
of award-winning products did not go unnoticed by the cosmetics industry. In
1995, The Estée Lauder Companies purchased a percentage of M·A·C, effectively
extending the brand’s distribution across the globe. Freestanding stores and
counters at the world’s leading retailers opened at a record pace. With its
enhanced profile, M·A·C teams began working backstage at international fashion
collections.
In 1998 Estée Lauder acquired the remaining shares of the company, and John
Demsey was named president of M·A·C. Under his leadership, the link between
fashion, beauty and culture has been strengthened, allowing M·A·C to stay on
the edge. Mr. Demsey has also spearheaded M·A·C’s participation at prestigious
film festivals worldwide and in support of the M·A·C
AIDS Fund has also encouraged the sponsorship of pop music concert tours for
such Viva Glam spokespeople as Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott. In addition, he
has been instrumental in collaborating with celebrities such as Linda
Evangelista, Liza Minnelli, Pamela Anderson, Catherine Deneuve and more, to
endorse the M·A·C Viva Glam and Beauty Icon programs.
Moving forward, M·A·C continues to satisfy the needs of its customers.
Constantly developing existing and new categories, each of which grows out of a
demand from professional makeup artists, M·A·C’s ultimate ambassadors. Equally
important as the growth of its worldwide business is the company’s ongoing
involvement in fundraising efforts and social awareness programs. Besides its
commitment to the M·A·C AIDS Fund, the “heart and soul” of M·A·C, the company
supports animal-free testing. M·A·C Cosmetics is owned by The Estée Lauder
Companies, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality
skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products.
