Bringing a fresh new spin on the phrase bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, these two global giants step up, hand in hand, to offer a bold and beautiful mid-year style.
Every now and then, a pairing captures our attention and fascination for being unexpected at first sight. In the recent past, there have been odd couples from Superman and Lois Lane to Olivier Sarkozy and Mary Kate Olsen that prove different strokes do make for interesting folks, and lend a richer dimension to life. Come June, two big brands shu uemura and Onitsuka Tiger, both trailblazers harking from the land of the rising sun, get together to turn the heat up with a best face-and-foot forward approach towards summer styling.
So while it may seem surprising that a beauty institution is sliding into the DMs of a formidable shoe pioneer, a quick delve deeper shows the obvious reasons for their collaboration. They both share an established pursuit of innovation within their brands. Both founders, Mr. Shu Uemura and Mr. Kihachiro Onitsuka, displayed a flair for crafting products that do more than just turn heads; they also exceed standards of functionality and design.
After all, the main motivation to create this capsule is steeped in the belief that healthy and active people also want to express themselves in more ways than one, be it fashion or make up. Capturing the spirited colours during the fitness boom of the 80s, Director Uchiida echoes this sentiment, “I feel that beyond the limit, look is similar in its expression, and its spirit is to challenge the limits and elevate its heights, and to cheer the ones who challenge to elevate their beauty. Bold coloured makeup inspired by Onitsuka Tiger spirits and its stripes will certainly bring your beauty to new heights.”
Even earlier before the eighties, both brands started out with the intention to transform lives by pushing their craft to go further, bigger and certainly better. In the sixties, shu uemura was the first to launch its revolutionary oil cleanser that did its job without leaving a face feeling like sandpaper. Plus it did away with the need for double cleansing. And since then, it continues to stay true to its ethos ‘Be brave in the pursuit of beauty’ when it comes to its products and certainly in its collaborations.
In the case of Onitsuka Tiger, those trademark stripes were designed to look good and function in tandem with the lacing to improve stability and durability. The brand quickly achieved cult status on the feet of stars like Bruce Lee and Uma Thurman. Its motto ‘Anima Sana In Corpore Sano’ stands for sound mind, sound body – later becomes the acronym ASICS for its flagship sports line while Onitsuka Tiger, since 2002, remains to enshrine the timeless designs made for everyday living.
Beyond the Limit
If we think about it, shu uemura has always delighted fans with its collaborations that demonstrate how makeup is not simply an enhancement, but an expression of all the things we love and how we like to live. In the past, the brand has joined forces with brands that not only resonate with its clientele, a reminder that makeup can reflect our playful side.
Following a series of successful collaborations with the likes of chocolatier La Maison du Chocolat, artist Murakami, and game icons like Super Mario Bros and Pokémon, it is still refreshing to see that we can continue to be kept on our toes with this new venture.
Mr. Shu Uemura believes in bringing out the natural and healthy beauty of every woman while Mr. Kihachiro Onitsuka persevered with his post war vision to elevate spirits and self esteem through sports. Ultimately both have garnered a loyal fanbase sweeping across all continents. And from this premise, the collaboration emerges to inspire self expression for all with a capsule of limited edition sneakers and cosmetics.
Set the Motion
This dynamic joint venture will see 12 beauty exclusives step up to the arena in Onitsuka Tiger colours named Tokyo Red, Energy Orange and Indigo Blue.
The two eyeshadow palettes – Beyond the Limit –offers 8 colours including Indigo Blue for those wanting to experiment with a bolder and edgier look. The second palette – Set the Motion – provides 8 warmer tones for a high energy summer makeup.
Its popular high-colour matte lipstick, Rouge Unlimited Matte, comes in 3 new shades that flatter Asian skin tones. For those who prefer dewy lips, the Rouge Unlimited Lacquer Shine swipes on glossy and healthy in 3 colour choices of Summer Punch, Flame Chaser and Sunrise energy.
Of course, shu uemura will include a limited edition version of its signature ultime8∞ cleansing oil dressed in stylised brush swipes of the Tiger stripes. There is also the hard formula eyebrow pencil, Petal 55 brush, as well as its ubiquitous eyelash curler in sunset orange instead of silver and tagged with a shoe charm.
And speaking of the shoe, this limited edition is based on the popular DELEGATION EX™, which in turn is inspired by those worn during the 1964 Summer Olympics by the Japanese contingent. Like the boldness of a red lipstick, it sports a scarlet shade to both its glossy uppers and soft leather toe caps. The sole comes chunky courtesy of its high-performance FLYTEFOAM™ that lends that trademark cushioning support and bounce. Both brands are stamped on the insole and on the spare shoelaces, just in case you forget where you got these headturners.
Images courtesy of shu uemura, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
shu uemura x Onitsuka Tiger makeup collection will be exclusively available on Tangs.com from 22nd May 2020, and available islandwide on Robinsons.com, Metro.com. from 1st June 2020. Orders can also be placed through the shu uemura beauty concierge service at (65) 8940 1380.
Related links:
The Chrysalis of shu uemura’s Sublime Artistry
shu uemura Rouge Unlimited Amplified: Full Saturation
Maison Kitsuné x shu uemura: Camostyle
