CASE STUDY: CAROLINE POLACHEK’S HEAVY-DUTY HERMÈS LINER
Having avant-pop icon Caroline Polachek take the stage rewrote the blueprint of what a luxury after-party could be, turning a runway Resort after-party into a club culture tribute to New York's local creative underground.
When NYLON Magazine spotlighted her double liner among the week’s best celebrity beauty moments, the heavy-duty look went straight to the streets. Creators wore it, traced its lines to match her moto-inspired energy.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Against an industrial backdrop of curated yellow traffic lights, the makeup had to hold its own against the elements. We made sure the look was precise, so it could read from afar without getting lost in the space.
Set inside Pier 36, Hermès chose the East River for its historic New York debut. Performing hits like So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings beneath heavy industrial wind fans, Caroline Polachek embodied this new, modern Hermès Girl.
INTERVENTION
Working with the collection's dark brown with a hint of magenta finish, Caroline's makeup became a showcase of the new product lineup.
Executing Caroline’s makeup meant diving into a major milestone: the global launch Trait d’Hermès eyeliners, curated by Gregoris Pyrpylis.
APPROACH
Rather than drawing a hard line straight from the pencil, I subtly loaded the pigment onto a makeup brush to mimic a soft, sketch-like pencil effect. I buffed the formula directly into the root of the lashes; the look that captured both raw, moody intensity and controlled stage drama.
Working closely with Caroline—fan of rich, earthy browns—we decided to steer away from a flat, predictable liquid black line. Instead, we mapped out a dimension rich gaze using a custom blend of Trait d’Hermès pencils in 99 Noir Fusain and 87 Brun Écorce.
PRESS AMPLIFICATION
The media reach was led by major industry mainstays like Vogue and WWD, focusing on the runway show, Pier 36 venue, and live performance. That core coverage syndicated globally through premier media platforms like Getty Images, documenting arrivals and the live performance.
Beyond the runway, the heavy-duty liner became a talking point for the fashion press, landing a coveted spot on NYLON's best beauty curation. the Hermès New York debut and Caroline Polachek’s after-party generated a massive wave of international visibility across fashion, entertainment, and digital platforms.
STAGE IMPACT
This high-profile exposure multiplied the event's visibility, driving a massive wave of coverage across Vogue and WWD that focused on her stage performance.
With an elite guest list that included Anna Wintour, Nicky Hilton, Usher, and Lily Allen, the energy of the after-party demanded a sharp visual punctuation.
IMPACT STACK
The press coverage verified that the heavy-duty liner design didn't just generate impressions; it triggered immediate participation, with creators filling digital outlets with their own iterations of the technique demonstrating that the most effective luxury marketing is the kind that the streets willingly adopt.
High-volume social amplification, driven by creators, media galleries, and short-form video content across platforms such as TikTok and digital fashion outlets. This organic wave of user-generated content put the Trait d’Hermès eye collection on full display.
SHOW CREDITS
Artistic Director: Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski - Creative Director: Charles Levai and Kevin Tekinel - Beauty Direction Gregoris Pyrpylis (Hermès Beauty) - Hair Stylist: Anthony Turner - Caroline Polachek Makeup Artist: Ann Gior