Student Week: Acne Studios X Concept Is A Sustainable Makeup Line

What if Swedish fashion house Acne Studios developed a sustainable makeup line? Better still, what if it was gender-fluid?

Well, that's precisely what designer Hera Cho did with one of her projects at Art Center, by dreaming up the ideal makeup line that satisfies everyone, no matter where they are on the gender spectrum.

"For this particular project, we were tasked with creating a 100% sustainable makeup line for an existing high-end luxury brand.

Acne Studios is a Stockholm-based brand with a multidisciplinary approach, one where founder Jonny Johansson’s signature strategy is to juxtapose design. My goal for this project was to create a high-end makeup line that is both 100% sustainable and that satisfied everyone on the gender spectrum, building an all-inclusive range that celebrates individuality.

The added "X" to the brand came from words that represent the line—expression and exuberance. I am using their iconic pink for the packaging and the familiar Lagom face motif to not stray too far from the existing brand. The palettes themselves utilize fluid-like shapes that coincide with a gender-fluid, all-inclusive line.

Since the line is 100% sustainable and features no plastic, I had the challenging task of figuring out what materials I could use. All packaging uses a soy-based silk screening ink that is water-soluble. The foundation comes packaged in a paper tube that can get reused or recycled, while the aluminum tube that the foundation is in gets sealed with Sulapac lid. The eyebrow pencil is wrapped in paper that allows you to tear away as you use, while the eyeshadow palette and color-correcting palette both come in reusable aluminum containers. The eyeshadow brush is composed of boar bristles and an aluminum handle."