Vanité

Vanité was created as a response to the overly polished and performative beauty standards dominating modern beauty culture. I wanted to create a brand that still felt feminine, aspirational, and editorial, but in a way that felt more emotionally honest and lived-in. The concept was rooted in the idea that beauty is rarely pristine — makeup becomes smudged, palettes become worn, lipstick fades, and products begin to carry evidence of experience, routine, spontaneity, and self-expression. Rather than treating imperfection as something to conceal, the brand reframes it as part of the beauty itself.

2026

Branding, Visual Identity, Personal Project

Project Notes

Description

The creative direction draws heavily from early 2000s beauty editorials, flash photography, nightlife imagery, and intimate close-up compositions that feel nostalgic, impulsive, and slightly undone. Crushed pigments, glossy textures, blurred imagery, fingerprints, and worn beauty products were intentionally incorporated to create a visual identity that feels tactile, intimate, and emotionally authentic while still maintaining a refined fashion sensibility. I was particularly interested in exploring the tension between luxury and imperfection — balancing elevated typography and editorial styling with imagery that feels raw, effortless, and human.

The name Vanité reinterprets the idea of vanity as something expressive, self-aware, and empowering rather than superficial. Visually, the identity combines soft neutrals, flushed pinks, reflective silvers, and rich gloss tones to create a world that feels feminine, nostalgic, and slightly provocative. Every creative decision was intended to reinforce the idea that makeup is not about perfection, but about experimentation, individuality, and the emotional reality of how beauty is actually experienced and lived in.