As the Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, Belgian Peter Philips holds the position described by Vogue magazine as the "most coveted job in cosmetics".
As the Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, Belgian Peter Philips holds the position described by Vogue magazine as the "most coveted job in cosmetics". Following the iconic 1994 Chanel nail colour Rouge Noir – see Uma Thurman's nails in Pulp Fiction – "Rue Cambon's resident beauty genius" has made his own newspaper headlines and thousand-strong waiting lists with products such as 2009’s hugely popular Jade Le Vernis Nail Colour and the temporary tattoos he sent down Karl Lagerfeld’s catwalk in 2010. Successfully intertwining a passion for innovation with a love and reverence for the renowned French fashion house, Philips creates beautiful and flattering colour palettes – keeping the Chanel make up counter amongst the top destinations for luxury cosmetics, beautifully packaged. Here he shares his thoughts on friends, family and The Vicar of Dibley.
What are you thinking of right now?
Another Proust questionnaire.
What makes you laugh?
The Vicar of Dibley.
What makes you cry?
Really good actors.
What do you consider to be the greatest invention?
Bread.
Do you have a mentor or inspirational figure that has guided or influenced you?
A different one every day.
Where do you feel most at home?
In my head.
Where are you right now?
Paris.
What is your proudest achievement in work?
The evolution of it.
What is your proudest achievement in life?
My friendships.
What do you most dislike about contemporary culture?
The rapidity it’s been consumed.
What do you most like about the age we live in?
The accessibility of things.
At what points do life and work intersect?
In my case, constantly.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
A 'no' you already have, a 'yes' you can get.
What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?
Getting my driver's license.
Recommend a book or poem that has changed your perspective on life?
None to recommend that had that impact.
What is your earliest childhood memory?
My first steps, and then falling down realizing that I wasn't holding my mom's hand, but a twig.
What’s the most important relationship in your life?
Family.
What’s the most romantic action you’ve taken?
Provoking a fight and turning it into a kiss.
What’s the most spiritual action you’ve taken?
Being with my grandmother while she was dying.
If you could wish for one change in the world what would it be?
A society not based on oil.
Chanel has recently opened a new and exclusive Chanel Fragrance and Beauty Boutique in House of Fraser, Glasgow.
