UNITED STATES – NEW YORK
Born in the UK, Diane Kendal studied special effects and prosthetic make-up at the London College of Fashion and graduated in 1981. During her studies, the future international artist met friends taking courses in photography, hairdressing and design. As she exchanged ideas with them, the young Diane quickly realised that a career in the fashion industry could be open to her.
She would later say: “I tried to do make-up for films, but I never got that far. So I worked with some friends from university who were photographers in London.”
As soon as she left school with her degree in her pocket, Diane Kendal began collaborating with British publications such as Girl About Town and Miss London. She also developed her art through trials with budding photographers such as David Sims and Nathaniel Goldberg.
Her travels to Milan and Paris, to assist the then-famous make-up artist Stéphane Marais, enabled her to perfect her technical expertise.
Seven years later, she worked on a feature for Italian Vogue with Austrian model Cordula Reyer and Scottish photographer Albert Watson. She was also featured on the December cover of Vogue with Shalom Harlow.
In the early ’90s, the British artist moved to New York, where he made a name for himself with his lifelong friend and hairstylist, Guido Palau. The two worked together around the grunge movement, which was in full swing in the fashion industry at the time.
In 1997, she developed a range of products in collaboration with Calvin Klein. A line that attracted the interest of celebrities such as Julia Roberts. Enriched by her experiences with Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein, she became Creative Director for Zara Beauty and designed the first vegan, clean and eco-responsible make-up line, while continuing her collaborations with international artists and magazines. Among the best known are Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue, Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford.
Her commitment to Zara Beauty doesn’t stop her from creating catwalk looks for Balenciaga, Roberto Cavalli, Proenza Schouler and Carolina Herrera, to the delight of everyone.
Thomas Durin