Ellis Faas

Vogue Paris called Ellis Faas "one of the most influential make-up artists of her generation".

From the earliest stages of her career, Holland-born Ellis Faas has been noted for her expressive style of make-up. She draws her inspiration from various sources, such as 20th century painting, tropical fish and the human body. Faas does not hide her talent for special effects, and in her beauty make up she introduced various unusual materials. Yet it is always her prime goal to enhance a model’s beauty within the concept of a photo or show.

After her graduation from high-school, Faas did a professional course in photography, and always used herself as her model. In order to look different each and every time, she discovered the versatility of make up. She decided to move from Amsterdam to Paris, in order to study at Christian Chauveau’s school for make up, after which she went to London where she found the creative jobs she was looking for. After the birth of her daughter, Faas moved back to Amsterdam where she was contacted by Inez van Lamsweerde. With her Faas made e.g. the awarded campaign for Louis Vuitton. Other work with Van Lamsweerde can now be seen in various museums. Faas' international break-through came when Mario Testino was in the Netherlands to do a shoot for L’Uomo Vogue. In Ellis Faas’ portfolio he found the style of make up he wanted, and this was the start of a fruitful collaboration. After Testino, the rest of the world followed, and since then she frequently worked with many photographers such as Miles Aldridge, Michelangelo Di Battista, Richard Burbridge, Patrick Demarchelier, Nathaniel Goldberg, Jean-Paul Goude, Karl Lagerfeld, Guido Mocafico, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Tom Munro, Vincent Peters, Phil Poynter, Terry Richardson, Paolo Roversi and Sølve Sundsbø. Besides photo shoots for magazines and advertising campaigns, Faas has also been the leading making artist for fashion shows all around the globe, designing makeup for the shows for Giorgio Armani, Cacharel, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Dries van Noten, Fendi, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Kenzo Takada, Moschino, Sonia Rykiel, Yves Saint-Laurent Haute Couture, Junko Shimada, Olivier Theyskens, Emanuel Ungaro, Viktor & Rolf for H&M and Junya Watanabe.

Ellis Faas currently works mainly in Paris, New York and Milan, but officially still lives in a studio in one of the oldest parts of Amsterdam. She has a daughter called Flavia.

External links

* [http://www.ellisfaas.com] Ellis Faas' official website for her own makeup brand ELLIS FAAS which she launches early 2009.
* [http://www.FAASMM.com/ellis.html] Ellis Faas' online portfolio hosted by her personal management.