When the deal was announced in mid-January 2020, brand founder and makeup artist Kat Von D explained her departure from the business, telling the press: “This past year has been one of great change for me. As many of you know, I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy, launched my vegan shoe line, and am now busy prepping to release my long-awaited album in the Spring, followed by an international tour!”
“As much as I wish I could balance all of this on top of continuing my makeup line,” she said, “it has become clear to me that I just can't do everything at the maximum capacity.”
For her it’s a strategy that allows the brand she created to remain meaningful for its consumers and in the larger color cosmetics industry as well. “With that said, I've decided to step down as founder (and from all other capacities) of Kat Von D Beauty, and sell my shares of the brand, turning it all over to KENDO, my partners for the past 12 years,” she told the press. “This was not an easy decision, but after careful consideration, I decided I wanted the makeup line to continue to thrive and grow, and KENDO is primed to do just that.”
KVD Vegan Beauty launches new lip gloss and blush collection
The brand’s first lip gloss, KVD Vegan Beauty XO Vinyl Lip Cream, and a new blush collection, called KVD Vegan Beauty Everlasting Blush, each come in 6 shades and are already retailing on the brand’s own ecommerce platform, on Sephora.com as well as in-store at Sephora, Sephora inside JCPenny, and at Debenhams.
KENDO creates “beauty positive rebels” marketing campaign for KVD Vegan Beauty
The new product and campaign went live at the end of January, and as Kelly Coller, VP of Global Marketing and PR for KVD Vegan Beauty, tells the press, “On a global level, in a few days, the products have received organic four- and five-star reviews, catapulting both to be top sellers early in the game. The future is bright,” she says, “and we promise to keep bringing best-in-class vegan beauty and innovation throughout 2020.”
The campaign features what KENDO is calling “beauty positive rebels” and features new models and the brand’s own Luis Carrero, an Education Artistry Trainer for KVD Vegan.
As Coller points out, “The net-new campaign showcases an inside peek to the new look and feel of KVD Vegan Beauty; featuring one of our very own! Every aspect to date has been so well received by retailers, fans, makeup artists and consumers around the world.”
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Deanna Utroske is a leading voice in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well as in the indie beauty movement. As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily news about the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.
Deanna will be traveling next to the Personal Care Product Council’s annual meeting; if you’ll be there too and have beauty business news to share, feel free to contact her at deanna.utroske@wrbm.com