| First
blush >> Ken Men Cosmetics launches a unique role reversal in Montreal
by JOANNE LATIMER
With evocative names like Blo-Job, Moneyshot,
Fag Hag, Hard-Core, Lube Job and Crusin, it would be difficult to confuse
these products with mainstream fare. Then there’s the display
case: shaped like a two-foot, ambre sperm, it’s lit from within.
The tail moves, while holding eyeliners and brow pencils. Other products
include foundation, sheer lip glosses, shimmering body creams, mascara
and an array of powdered pigments. No? In a subculture that still valorizes the Marlboro Man, one would think that’d be a tough sell. Big-name cosmetic brands, like Decleor, Clarins and Biotherm, are rigorously launching men’s skincare lines this year and the mainstream press has been widely reporting that men are frequenting urban spas in record numbers. However, none of the cosmetic giants are venturing into the taboo territory of men’s cosmetics-not like the kind Ken Men has delved into.
“Even one of my investors, whose conservative upbringing made him skeptical about men’s makeup, realized there was a market because he has been in the fashion industry for so long, ” explains Gilbert, who spent years as a professional makeup artist in film and television before consulting for private label cosmetics. “It’s all in the timing. Clinique introduced a men’s bronzer years ago, but it failed because it was too early. Now, as part of the craze around looking healthy, men are getting facials, waxing and going for Botox. Cosmetics are the next logical step. Gay friends are always asking me to get them a foundation.” Named after Barbie’s male counterpart, Ken Men Cosmetics took three years to develop. Gilbert had to find a laboratory that would formulate the products specifically for men, with no rose or red pigment bases. Ken is tawny or yellow based to suit male complexions and correct ruddy skin. “We’re getting customers who want a natural glow, or they want to hide wrinkles and pimples,” says Reboh. “It’s not all about drama and glitter for clubs. Drag queens are only 10 per cent of our sales so far. We have 10 big [gay] parties in Montreal a year, like Pride, so there’s a market for our more glamorous products, but there’s an everyday market too.”
Distributing Ken across Canada and the U.S. is turning out to be challenging in a different way than Gilbert and Reboh anticipated. It isn’t hard to interest retailers in carrying Ken, but it’s hard to choose the right retailers. “The S&M retail market approached us, but we’re a bit afraid of the connotations of the underground scene,” says Gilbert, who gives three per cent of sales to the Canadian AIDS Foundation in exchange for permission to use the red ribbon as part of Ken’s logo. “We’re being very careful. We only want trendy boutiques with a comfortable environment for men to approach the cosmetic counter. There has to be a male makeup artist at the counter to teach technique. Our clients are very curious and diligent about their makeup-more so than women.” Reboh can’t get over how many straight guys are buying Ken. He says a quarter of the clients are straight, doubling his expectation, and he’s even more shocked to see a few women shoppers. “We have a lot of secrets right now, about distribution in Toronto, exclusivity and retailers, because huge chain stores are clambering after us,” adds Reboh, who won’t offer details. “In three months, I predict we’ll be everywhere.” : |
With
a grandiose bow to Montreal’s gay community, Ken Men Cosmetics
launched its first line of makeup last month in the Village. Since mid-May,
their test products sold steadily at the flagship store, Un Autre Monde,
where Montreal’s most avant-garde male shoppers buy their clothes-and
now, their makeup. Sales doubled since their launch party and, Ken Men
types report, interest is brewing from stores in the States.