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Sam Fine: Fashion Fair's Makeup Master

Posted on May 2, 2012 By admin

When makeup guru Sam Fine talks face, beauty aficionados listen. So when Fashion Fair, the first makeup brand to launch specifically for African-American women, appointed him as its first Creative Director, the Tsunami of well wishes from all over the globe, was well expected.

"It was a pretty simple process to reach to the conclusion that having Sam Fine on our team would help us transition and create magic," explains Clarisa Wilson, President of Fashion Fair via email. "He is a true artist that understands women of color and has dedicated his career to serving her for over 20 years," she says. Indeed. As the makeup artist to some of our most beloved celebrities—from Jennifer Hudson to Vanessa Williams to Gabrielle Union, Mo'Nique and Iman—and as an expert with a best-selling book ("Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond for African American Women") and makeup DVD ("Fine: The Basics of Beauty") showing everyday women how to get red-carpet ready, there is no other makeup artist whose handiwork is more recognizable. Those sharply shaped light brown brows? A Sam Fine creation. That inner eye rimmed with white pencil to give the eyes a pop? A Sam Fine creation. Those brown, nude lips with a touch of liner and light highlight on the pout? Sam. Fine. Creation. A sharply groomed 5'oclock shadow. The Sam Fine school of grooming.

Without question Sam is comfortably perched alongside makeup's talented tenth: Fran Cooper, Pat McGrath and the late Kevin Aucoyin, who have all left an indelible mark; powdered footprints if you will, for others to follow. He uses his fingers like the illustrator he started out to become, wielding the makeup brush like a rapier-sharp pencil, executing a precision and perfection that make women line up for just a quick puff. But a session with Fine is no quickie. It may take two hours to make Gabrielle Union look like she's flawless and wearing no makeup at all in that Neutrogena ad. A masterpiece does, afterall, take a moment to achieve.

I caught up with Sam shortly after the news about his appointment had just broken. Here, he gets candid about what it means to help revitalize a 38-year-old brand, how Fashion Fair's original vision touched him so, and the one thing and each celebrity client taught him that allows him til this day to never take any of his success for granted.

AMBERmag.com: Soo. How did you get the gig?
Sam Fine: When Anne Samplasky Ward became President of Fashion Fair [Editor's note: she is no longer in the position], I sent her flowers and asked for a meeting. You have to be proactive and read WWD, and align yourself accordingly. And so we began to discuss the possibilities of something like this happening. We couldn't come to an agreement then and we parted. So they hired Roxanna Floyd (creator of Queen Latifah's Cover Girl Collection) and I continued my work with CoverGirl and MAC and created my dvd. You can’t really get mad when things don’t work out. I’m a firm believer in everything in its own time.

[Editor's note: Roxanne died shortly after she began working with Fashion Fair and Anne left the company shortly thereafter].

AMBERmag.com: Did you have reservations about working with Fashion Fair?

SF: To be honest, I did. It's a 38-year-old brand and I felt there was no new newness with it. But once Clarisa [the current President] was in place, and speaking with Desiree [Rogers, the new CEO], I thought what better time to really put my stamp on cosmetics and to join a great team.

AMBERmag.com: Tell us what becoming Creative Director of Fashion Fair actually means to you?

SF: From a personal perspective, it’s so much more than a title and so much more to have a co-branded collection. You take someone like Fashion Fair whose needs have been to satisfy African American women, for them to reach out to me when there are no African-American Creative Directors, it's extremely overwhelming. Professionally, I am flattered that a company with such heritage made this offer because it sends a message and confirmation that the largest Black-owned brand can reach out to me and make something like this happen and in a way that no one else could. Their greatest challenge was about positioning and they chose an authority instead of a celebrity. And to commit to a collection for 2012 with my name on it; it's every thing that I imagined and more.

AMBERmag.com: What can we look forward to from you?

SF: When I go makeup shopping or grocery shopping, I go with a list. Some collections can be broad and need to be broad. Luxury can be one piece or with one element. It can be just the watch you're wearing with that T-shirt and jeans, but that one piece says it all. It's the same with makeup and we want to emphasize that. I will be covering everything except skincare. I pulled everything from fashion to nails; it’s sculpted and you’ll see the same trends [from the runways] but truely translated for for African-American women. That’s what I do with many of my celebrity clients: I make sure the trend is still there, but I tailor it to who they really are.

AMBERmag.com: Fashion Fair has such history. How did you start prepping for work?

SF: I went to the headquarters in Chicago and I literally went through the closets of Eunice Johnson and the company's archives. And while doing so, it really hit me: this was John Johnson and Eunice Johnson’s vision; it's theirs and our legacies. And as a fellow Chicagoan it felt like a home coming. The great thing about coming into a company like this is it's like Tom Ford coming into Gucci: I’m trying to do it big and they are too.

AMBERmag.com: Will the packaging be different? What will change?

SF: As far as display units and my packaging for the Sam Fine collection and over the entire brand, you will definitely see my vision, but it needs to grow authentically.

AMBERmag.com: Brands are always seeking a younger consumer base and many young people don't think of Fashion Fair as a brand for them, how will you bridge the gap?

SF: You know, I love a mature consumer. I work with Iman and Vanessa Williams and I’ve known Patti LaBelle since she was in her 40s. That mature consumer is at the core of Fashion Fair. She loves this brand so we would never discard her. What she and younger consumers will find is this: We recognize that this woman is so hungry for newness. So we will deliver that newness through technology and new core pieces. I want this woman to understand that she will continue to get newness every time she comes to the counter. Once she sees the new products, all African-American women will realize we are making a new commitment and having a new conversation, just for her.

AMBERmag.com: When you look back on your career, what stands out to you?
SF: I’ve been around for more than 20 years. I started out doing every one like Brooke Shields but became known for doing black women. And these women never left me. I never felt like I was a trend, I never had to feel like I needed to bring my resume. Naomi [Campbell] knew I was good and that was enough for her to hire me without asking for a resume. When I was 27 and I wrote "Fine Beauty." And that said I’m here to stay and I'm dedicating myself to you.

AMBERmag.com: I recall a discussion where Veronica Webb said you all (her, Oscar James, Chuck Amos), came up together. And how important it was to surround yourself with people who were talented and who get it?
SF: That is absolutely true. We stuck together and helped each other to grow and get work. And that's so important. Fran Cooper introduced me to Naomi Campbell, and hairstylist James Harris introduced me to Naomi Sims. I introduced Oscar James to Veronica Webb, Tyra Banks and Vanessa Williams. This business is very cyclical. Naomi Campbell would request me. She would say "I want him" and that’s fierce. They would want her to use someone else and she would say, "No, I have my team and here they are." And that makes all the difference.

AMBERmag.com: And you guys did amazing work.
SF: And we did amazing work. I remember Naomi was asking for a "Vogue" cover and she said Linda Evangelista told her don't be afraid to ask for what you want. I’ve never forgotten that. Those girls stuck together and they helped Naomi to get many opportunities that she was being shut out of. There is so much else going on behind the scenes.

AMBERmag.com: What have your clients taught you the most?
SF: So to be able to talk to my clients in a very real way is a blessing. Because it was while working with my celebrity clients that I really learned about not taking things for granted. Those responses that women who have read my book or other makeup artists have said to me are so heart-felt; I’m never so overwhelmed that I can't address them. We were never in touch with people like we are today so I don’t take it for granted nor is it taken lightly. Because even the most negative review, I grow from that. The level of communication that I can have with Monique, Queen Latifah, Iman, is a conversation with women who have broken barriers. They have withstood the test of time. So when I have a conversation with them, it’s very different from other makeup artists because their struggles are very similar to my own.

AMBERmag.com: What does power mean to you?
SF: Real power is being able to utilize it in a way that is effective. Being able to reach this consumer. I don’t need to be validated by anyone other than my consumer. The way that I have been able to wield power in this industry has been through an untraditional route. There is no way that at 27 I would have a best-selling book and when I walk into MAC to shop, I can be completely unrecognizable, but girls walk up to me crying because they know what I do. I look forward to touring and meeting this consumer in a way in which she can receive information because there is credibility in that and there is power in that relationship.

Fashion Fair is sold in department stores such as Macy's and online at Fashionfair.com.

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Written By : Marcia A. Cole

Tags: Sam-Fine-Fashion-Fair-makeup