Iconic: Kahlo Colours

With the aim of garnering greater respect for Mexican culture, Maybelline has created the first lipstick collection inspired by the 20th century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

With the aim of garnering greater respect for Mexican culture, Maybelline has created the first local lipstick collection inspired by the 20th century Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

The artist’s love for colour and her pride in her Mexican identity have inspired the makeup brand to create the new Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink X Frida Kahlo collection, with packaging based on her art style featuring special illustrations. Superstay Matte Ink X Frida Kahlo promises its users confidence in their makeup without the need to continuously retouch, staying in place for up to 16 hours. The collection is inspired by the artist’s iconic quotation “feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”

Artists like Frida Kahlo remain icons of modernity, diversity and progressivism even after many decades and generations have passed. As with other figures in other latitudes, Kahlo became an ambassador of both Mexican traditions and a set of values that differentiated her from her peers. These values, relating to female empowerment, national pride, diversity and authenticity, continue to solidify Kahlo as a role model for current generations. In a world with increasingly blurred borders, consumers are seeking ways to anchor their traditional beliefs. Brands continue to establish relationships with figures and artists that staunchly represent a contemporary application of the best of each region’s cultural heritage.

Consumers choose brands that allow them to express their cultural heritage. To this end, consumers look for products that allow them to be confident in who they are and where they come from and to present themselves in the way that they wish others to perceive them. However, the identities of today’s youth are flexible, fluid and complex and are not singularly dependent on heritage. Brands that are able to offer a range of choices that allow consumers to explore, expand and transform their identities, crossing borders of gender, will be best received.