wwd-2010-06-18 beauty biz - Intercos

1 42 W W D B E A U T Y B I Zn elegant town house situated in the fashion quadrangle of Milan stands as a testament to how art and science can the four-story hospitable house hang works by artists ranging from Andy Warhol to Lucio Fontana, and the edifi ce also is the home of Madina and Dario Ferrari, who, with daughter Arabella Ferrari and other family members, form the core management of Intercos , perennially the top-ranked supplier of color cosmetics to the global makeup industry, despite challenges by competitors such as Chromavis. They are the leaders, says Chantal Roos, who started working with Intercos 25 years ago and continued during her tenure as the head of YSL Beaut.

2 They are constantly looking for new ideas and creativity not only in product and color, but also in technology. She notes that the family success started with the Swiss skin care company of Dario s highly accomplished mother, Nadia Avalle, reached a crescendo with Dario and Madina and continues to build with Arabella. Their 27-year-old-son, Gianandrea, entered the business two years ago. When some people reach a certain turnover, they ease up, Roos notes. This [company] crosses the generations. I have worked with many labs, but they are in a different league, says Sonia Kashuk, a leading makeup artist and founder of her own brand.

3 Emily Cohen, who consulted on the development of Topshop s recently launched makeup line, adds, Intercos is the Rolls-Royce of cosmetics manufacturers. Claudia Poccia, global president of the Mark division at Avon Products Inc., says her company manufactures its own makeup, but still works with Intercos as a source of new ideas. We look to Intercos to create and innovate fi rst-to-market products, she says. The yin and yang of art and science can be seen every year when Intercos unveils its annual trend forecast at the company headquarters in Agrate Brianza, outside of Milan.

4 The exhibit refl ects the fi ndings of a six-month search through the worlds of art, fashion and culture high and low by a squad of art experts led by Madina. These cultural trends are married to the most cutting-edge molecular innovation that the research and development department can muster. The offspring of these two forces are new product technologies and new production techniques that the company presents as its hallmark. The theater of makeup, is how Kashuk describes it. There is so much so much to experience, so much product to take in, she says.

5 It s overwhelming. It s mind blowing, agrees Cohen. Each room is more creative and advanced than the next. It s like being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Kashuk draws a line between the Ferraris passion for product development and their decadeslong love of art collecting. Referring to the family s house which also contains works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, Piero Manzoni and Alexander Calder she says: They are incredibly stylish. That sense of style plays into the product. Kashuk marvels over the amazing balance of the house so fantastical and so comfortable.

6 Dario, Intercos president and chairman, has been gradually turning operational duties over to his daughter, Arabella, for the last 15 years. But there is one operational aspect he has kept fi rmly in hand calling the signals on innovation, which he describes as the engine of age 67, Dario remains an imposing presence at least one client describes him as a rock star. But with all the success of Intercos , he retains the attitude of one who s still pushing to make it. I like change, he says. I change probably too much, but only by changing, you can create new things.

7 If you look in the Italian dictionary, the defi nition of innovation [is] to modify a system by adding something new. That s what we try to do also in our organization. If you keep this philosophy by adding something new, it drives you, he continues. You change probably without really noticing. It s very important to improve. He points out that it all started with Madina 30 years ago, when they went to the Cosmoprof trade fair in Bologna with a tray full of makeup. We used to sell one formula and she was making 24 different colors. This was our innovation 30 years ago, he the time Arabella joined the fi rm 17 years ago, the product offering had evolved somewhat.

8 I had a box and we had colors and formulas. We were going around the It s mind blowing, says Emily Cohen of Intercos annual trend presentation. Each room is more creative and advanced than the next. It s like being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factor y. THE MILAN-BASED FERRARI CLAN FUSES INNOVATION, ART AND CHEMISTRY TO DRIVE ITS THRIVING COLOR COSMETICS EMPIRE. BY PETE BORN AND KERRY OLSEN PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVIDE MAESTRI42 W W D B E A U T Y B I ZCREDITS TKTKTKFROM LEFT: ARABELLA, DARIO, GIANANDREA AND MADINA FERRARI IN THEIR MILAN , says Arabella, who is now marketing director of the color business unit of chimes in: I keep saying, Arabella, don t do the same thing you did last time.

9 I don t say better. You have to try to do better, but at least different. This is really what s important in speed and doing something new. His penchant for the novel has led the executive to declare that Benefi t Cosmetics is his favorite brand. They try to be so different in terms of marketing position, he also is fascinated by the speed of merchandising by fashion chains such as Zara, H&M and Topshop, which Intercos supplied for its recently launched color line. He s a believer in the new color introductions from those retailers, if it s done well and you give the right space, the right creativity and the right ambiance.

10 He adds, The concept is to bring to the consumer a quality product at the cheaper price. And that s what people like, he continues, hinting that Topshop may be thinking about taking its new color line into wholesale trend that Intercos is less excited about is the industry s new tendency to incorporate treatment properties into makeup. It s a different culture, says Dario. In color, you can be a little bit crazy. In skin care, it has to be much more scientifi c. As a compromise, his preference is to add color to skin care. To that end, Intercos has offered some hybrid products this year.