Each company we visited during the span of FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour gave us a presentation about what they do and how they do it. From the way they operated, to the way they bring products to market, every company shared something different. Concepts and ideas I’ve learned in class really came full circle when visiting each company’s office. Although each company I’ve visited is a part of the beauty industry, they all contribute to it differently. Color cosmetics, fragrances, hair care, manufacturers, marketing and public relations services – they are all puzzle pieces that make up a multi-billion dollar industry.
DAY 1: Bumble & Bumble, L’Oreal, and Arcade Marketing
Bumble and Bumble offices
The first stop on the FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour, was at Bumble & Bumble offices. We got to meet with Suzanne Machesky, a fellow FIDM aluma. She was on this very same tour and got hired at Bumble & Bumble because of it! She gave us plenty of tips on being successful in the industry and shared with us what she does on a day-to-day basis. And yes, it’s fun.
A person from each department came down to speak with us about how their department collaborated on a product line they recently launched called BB Wear and Care (Fabulous line btw, love their Quenching Masque). I was quick to notice that how each department worked together in the same exact fashion that I learned at FIDM. To be more specific, group work, group work, group work. It made me so happy to see that what we were learning in the classroom translates smoothly into the work environment.
A visit to the L'Oreal office - my notes and gifts
Our next appointment was with L’Oreal, we met with two women from the Designer Fragrance Division. They spoke to us about two new projects they were working on. One was on their upcoming release of Aqua Di Gioa Georgio Armani, a new women’s fragrance to complement best-selling counterpart Aqua Di Gio. It smells very clean and fresh, look out for it this summer. The next project they are working on in is the release of a new fragrance collection for Ralph Lauren. They explained to us what it’s like to work with a living designer for the creative design process. Ralph Lauren is very much involved. It was nice to see how a large company works when creating a new product. It is a bit different compared to smaller companies because there are more people involved.
The view from Arcade Marketing's office
Our last stop for the day was at Arcade Marketing, they call themselves specialty printing marketers. We met with Laura who told us about what she does for the company. They were one of the first in the industry to create scent sampling for fragrances. When you open your magazine to get a whiff of the latest Juicy Couture or Dior fragrance, you can thank them. Arcade talked to us about how they work on marketing campaigns that samples for their clients in fragrances, color cosmetics, and skin care. It’s important to note that they mentioned a revolutionary idea or concept is all about timing. Something that isn’t hot right now could be or will be in 5 years.
(P.S.) We totally saw Jay-Z and Eminem performing on the rooftop of David Letterman which was right across the street from Arcade Marketing. I got a picture from the office!
The Late Show with David Letterman in New York
Jay-Z and Eminem perform on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater, home of The Late Show with David Letterman
Just after the first day of the FIDM’s New York Beauty Study Tour I was having so much fun and felt inspired, there’s so much to learn and so much to see I wish we had more time!
