AJ Crimson Beyond Beauty, Building Your Beauty Business - a Multicultural Beauty Event Recap
/Last Thursday, you followed me to the AJ Crimson Beyond Beauty, Building Your Beauty Business Event at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Joined by special guests Dascha Polanco, Actress from the hit show Orange Is the New Black, Ricky Kenig, the founder of Ricky's NYC, Angel "Mac Daddyy" Merino, Celebrity MUA & Founder of Artist Couture, and Nykhor Paul, the Model/Activist who penned an open letter to address the fashion world's inability and ignorance in working with models who have darker complexions, Crimson led a round discussion to examine the business of building a multicultural beauty brand.
This was a great time for AJ to hold this panel because it is time to benefit from diversity and bring all of the dimensions of universal beauty to the forefront. Nielsen examined the spending power of black super consumers and reported, "As the numbers of multicultural consumers continue to grow, so too will their purchasing power. Already, U.S. multicultural buying power is growing at an exponential rate compared to the total U.S., increasing from $661 billion in 1990 to $3.4 trillion in 2014. This is more than double the growth of total U.S. buying power." In addition, a recent Euromonitor video outlined five reasons as to why multicultural beauty should be at the forefront of beauty and personal care companies:
- The fastest-growing beauty markets are Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.
- The United States, the largest beauty market (comprising some 20% of the global total), is experiencing a demographic shift toward non-Caucasian populations that have growing income power.
- Tourism to the United States from non-Caucasian countries is expanding.
- Six of the top 10 beauty markets of 2020 will be non-Caucasian.
- Rising urbanization in non-Caucasian markets is creating new income and beauty needs for work and social activities. These consumers will increasingly indulge in premium brands and demand personalized solutions.
Watch and listen below to hear insights from the panel:
[embed]https://youtu.be/MA7tW3ld7kk[/embed]
ABOUT AJ CRIMSON: A self-taught makeup artist, AJ fell in love with giving women the tools and permission to fall in love with themselves again by helping them find their true beauty both outwardly and from within. Through those experiences, AJ learned several invaluable lessons and built his brand on the concept of, “it’s not about restructuring your face, but enhancing what you already have. As an Entrepreneur, Makeup Artist and Beauty & Lifestyle Expert, and one of the most trusted names and leading authorities in the beauty industry. AJ’s established reputation as an innovative beauty solutionist has made him and his products first choice for artists and celebrities including Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas, Hilary Duff, Adrienne Bailon of The REAL, Seryah of Fox’s Empire, Christina Milian, Brandy, Raven-Symone, Estelle, Regina King, Angela Bassett, Ameriie, Letoya Luckett, Keyshia Cole, Missy Elliot and more. His products are also used on the television series American Horror Story, Empire, Scandal, Girlfriends Guide to Divorce, The View, VH1’s Hit the Floor, The Real, and the box office smash The Hunger Games and in countless runway shows. AJ’s work has been featured in fashion, beauty and music magazines worldwide including Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire, InStyle, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, Essence and leading Japanese Entertainment magazines Blenda and Luire. He has also had the opportunity to work alongside some of the best in the business including Pat McGrath for Paris Fashion Week and was delighted to have a hand in creating cutting edge beauty techniques under the masterful instruction and eyes of makeup impresarios Joann Gair and Mathu Anderson.
The AJ Crimson Beauty cosmetic line, like most great inventions, was borne out of necessity. “I felt like there was an absolute need to bring products to women that actually worked and didn’t oxidize or change,” explains Crimson. “I wanted to create a product inclusive of women of all ethnicities, a product all women could find ownership in and believe in. So often, makeup has been designed with a one size fits all mentality, and with black women and women of color my cosmetic line contains shades for women of every ethnic background."
AJ Crimson...we give you a slow clap.
