Designer Interview: Jeanine Lobell
Jeanine Lobell Stia Cosmetics
By Lori Bryan, EditorJeanine Lobell, founder, president, and CEO of Stila Cosmetics (Los Angeles), doesn't underestimate packaging's power. "I believe that a beautiful package sets up expectation for a great product," says Lobell. Since launching the company with a partner in 1994, Lobell has dedicated herself to meeting and exceeding consumers' expectations for quality products, in packages that exude Stila's signature style.
Lobell's decision to start the cosmetics brand stemmed from her experience as a makeup artist. She still uses her clients' feedback to determine whether a product should go to launch. For instance, when Lobell first tried out her Lip Glaze pen—now an established Stila offering—her clients, impressed with the product, would stop her to ask what product she was using. "I can foresee how a product will be received based on how my clients respond," says Lobell.
Such interactions have also taught Lobell how important convenience is to product users. "Multipurpose designs and portability are key when creating packages," says Lobell. With this in mind, she designed Stila's eye shadow trios to provide three eye shadow colors in one easy-to-carry compact. The Lip Glaze and Lip Polish pens feature built-in applicators for ease of use.
But even before consumers can experience the functional benefits of Stila's packages, they are attracted to the brand-specific designs, for which Lobell is chiefly responsible.
"I miss the 'mom-and-pop' days when products didn't look mass manufactured," says Lobell. "A thoughtfully designed package makes a product feel substantial."
To help stay away from a mass-produced look, Lobell decided early on that Stila's seasonal lines would be limited editions. Consequently, each season, the spiral-wound paper tube compacts feature a different wrap.
This fall's Bohemian Beauty collection includes Stila's trademark paper tube compacts wrapped in flowery papeEach of Lobell's collections echoes the current trends in fashion. "Makeup can be an inexpensive way to participate in seasonal trends," says Lobell. This fall, the Bohemian Beauty collection compact reflects the current trend toward hippieness. "I chose black paper since so many fashion designers' fall collections are black," adds Lobell.
Occasionally, Lobell's package designs have even preceded a product's formulation. "At times, I've come up with a great idea for a package, and I have to develop a product to put in it," says Lobell. For the company's new Bouquet du Jour fragrances, which launched this August, Lobell had the idea to adhere dried, hand-pressed flowers to the bottle's label before she had even developed the fragrances. "I thought that using real flowers on a label was a neat idea," says Lobell. "Then we found affordable flowers that were also durable and I thought, how can we not use this on a package?" Lobell chose the fragrance notes based on the flowers that she wanted to place on the label.
Though Estée Lauder acquired Stila in 1999, Lobell remains at the helm of the trademark designs for which Stila has become known. And, Lobell adds, Stila's formulations do their part. "Stila has stayed a strong brand name because the products live up to their packaging."