by It’s full steam ahead for makeup at Tom Ford Beauty, starting with a renewed focus on lips and a top-tier spokesmodel.
Runway Lip Color will be fronted by Angelina Jolie, the brand’s first-ever beauty celebrity, which will be rolled out worldwide in full distribution in September with 18 shades – 10 existing, eight new. It replaces the existing Lip Color lipsticks franchise. The refresh also includes a Runway Lip Pencil, available in eight shades. Prices range from $46 for the pencils to $62 for the lipsticks.
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The pressure comes at a critical time for the business. An SEC filing from parent company Estée Lauder Cos., which earned Tom Ford $2.3 billion in 2023, noted in the 2024 fiscal year, “net sales [for makeup] from Tom Ford decreased, primarily due to lower net sales from the lip subcategory.”
Fragrance seems to be a brighter spot, however. Lauder’s luxury fragrances – of which Tom Ford is a key player – grew by average numbers, according to the filing.
Still, the health of the business depends on getting its lips back on track. It is among the largest categories of the entire business after fragrance, and the largest of Tom Ford’s makeup offer, said Guillaume Jesel, president and chief executive officer of the brand, who took the top slot last year after nearly ten year working on the brand.
“Tom Ford Beauty remains on track to reach $1 billion in net sales annually over the next several years,” Jesel said, confirming earlier reports that the brand is nearing the milestone. Jesel did not comment on sales for Runway Lip Color, although industry sources expect the range to reach $50 million in retail sales for the first 12 months on the market.
“We have shown consistent growth over time. It’s sustainable and it’s very profitable, especially post-acquisition,” he said. After Lauder acquired the entire business at a valuation of $2.8 billion, the beauty giant entered fashion and eyewear for the first time, with Ermenegildo Zegna Group and Marcolin holding licenses for Tom Ford fashion and Tom Ford eyewear, respectively .
Jesel’s expanded range has influenced the way he thinks about beauty – and how the different products work together. “Beauty, fashion and eyewear are the top verticals of the brand,” he said. “The brand is about to stay strong, and it starts with brand equity. Tom Ford’s long-term licensees understand the shared vision of what luxury means, how to build a brand, and how to scale it.”
Part of that vision is to close the gap between the fashion and beauty businesses, Jesel said. “The three verticals echo each other, and under Tom, they’ve always worked together. My role is to uphold how they come together, and stay true to Tom’s vision.”
Ford left the company last year, and Peter Hawkings succeeded him as creative chief. Hawkings announced his departure last month. Jesel declined to comment on the search for new creative talent, but said, “together with the creative director and the licensees, we have to stand by [Ford’s] vision.”
Zegna Group reported in July that sales of Tom Ford’s fashion business reached 148.5 million euros in the first half, a 4.7 percent gain driven by the US and the brand’s website.
Jesel’s mandate is to “continue to run Tom Ford as a unified brand across verticals and unify the strategy, brand codes, innovation across fashion, beauty and eyewear,” he said. “We need to attract top talent, and that means in creative product development and marketing.”
Runway Lip Color, as the refreshing products are called, reflects that blueprint. “The runway is one of our franchises to communicate, as the brand becomes more distributed, the connection to fashion,” said Jesel. “Lips are the ultimate fashion accessory, the carrier of the brand’s DNA, and at the heart of the brand’s identity.”
To that end, Jolie’s campaign, lensed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, echoes Ford’s own work as an auteur. “In terms of the celebrity aspect, the film connection is a natural thing. Tom is a filmmaker and shot a lot of his own photography,” said Jesel. “The connection to film and the cinematic aspect of the visual imagery it has created sets this brand apart from anyone else and is an integral part of our DNA.”
In the scenes, the shadow of the hero Jolie sports Scarlet Rouge. “It’s a beautiful color and texture,” Jolie said via email. “A good red lip needs little else. It is worn with intention. That was part of the discussion.”
Its appeal reflects the wide net Jesel is casting with the relaunch. “She appeals to a wide demographic, and has global appeal. We are very internationally branded, and we have a good variety around the world. And its appeal to Gen Z is very interesting,” he said.
The new shade range includes an extended nude range, as well as classics like Scarlet Rouge, designed to appeal to a diverse audience. “Two moves that moved the Tom Ford brand to a younger audience were launching into specialty and multi-retail, and launching in China,” Jesel said. “The average consumer in China is a bit younger, and the brand has broad appeal.”
China has been a constant focus for Lauder, where prestige beauty across the country has moved, as reported.
In September, campaign images will be phased in, followed by filming in October. “Lips are a category that is used in public, and when we talk about makeup, we talk about the power of transformation for makeup and finding another persona in yourself,” said Jesel.
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