Patrick Ta Beauty, the eponymous brand from the celebrity makeup artist, is aiming for a rapid growth trajectory on the heels of its April 4 launch on PatrickTa.com.
The brand debuted on Thursday in 32 Sephora doors and on Sephora.com and will expand to all 460 doors by September. It will also be placed in 70 dedicated Patrick Ta Beauty endcaps by September. Patrick Ta Beauty is currently only distributed through Sephora in the U.S. and PatrickTa.com.
Patrick Ta Beauty was developed in collaboration with SOS Beauty Inc., a full-service product development company that also counts Shani Darden Skin Care and NatureLab Tokyo as clients. Patrick Ta Beauty first launched with a collection of 9 products including a lipgloss, a body oil, a face mist and a facial fan, and in conjunction with the Sephora expansion, it launched a new body oil and a body brush. The plan is to release product collections every six months. The next round of products will arrive in the third quarter.
Glossy talked with Ta and his business partners, Dustin Cash, founder and CEO of SOS Beauty Inc., and Charlene Valledor, product developer and brand strategist at SOS Beauty Inc., to talk about ambitions for the brand.
What are your plans for expanding the brand?
Ta: I don’t ever want to create a mass amount of products and not care about each SKU or color. I want the brand to grow organically, but I want it to be in Sephora and eventually go international. I just did a masterclass in Brazil, and I was sad that I can’t sell my product there [through my Sephora partnership]. Within the next year, I’d like to go to the U.K and expand from there.
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What was behind the decision to launch into retail so quickly?
Ta: Customers want to be able to touch, see and try the products. For someone like Kylie [Jenner], it was easier for her to sell her brand online, but for an artist like myself, I am still growing [my following]. It’s important to have a partner like Sephora, which has millions of customers. It’s going to build my brand and expose it to eyes that would not have seen it otherwise.
How are you maintaining a close customer relationship within the crowded industry?
Valledor: That’s the challenge, but it can be done. We’re finding ways to still make that connection with the consumer, whether it’s through the brick-and-mortar location or through Sephora.com or PatrickTa.com. It’s about making sure there is authenticity in everything you do, and that the messaging is there and consistent across all channels. In the coming months, you’ll see ways in which Patrick is using every opportunity to connect with people one-on-one, while also using Sephora as a platform.
What was your goal for the look and feel of your website?
Ta: I really wanted my website to look like a mood board. As a makeup artist, we usually have a mood board or inspiration board for every photoshoot. As a new consumer, you can learn about who the Patrick Ta girl resembles and what she wants to be. The Patrick Ta girl is a red-carpet type of girl who can wear [that level of] makeup on the street, but it still looks like her.
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Where is the brand investing itself post-launch?
Valledor: This is just the beginning. We’re very focused on brand awareness, building the message, and strengthening and expanding Patrick’s reach. A lot of his time is dedicated to making sure the creation and [distribution] of assets is authentic and conveying the [right] emotions.
Cash: We’re anticipating continued rapid growth from this year and into next. In the fall, we’ll be launching a new collection and participating in Sephoria. For us, it’s about brand awareness, and operationally, it’s about trying to keep inventory in stock. Sephora increased their own projections, so we have an opportunity to be in additional doors by fall. I was [stuck] on the phone with our Sephora supplier while at the brand’s launch party in LA, and it was like, “I just came here for a glass of champagne.”
