Who doesn't love a fashion diva rivalry? The Powder & the Glory, a movie detailing the story of two of the most successful cosmetic pioneers in America, will aired last night on PBS, just in time for March's Women's History Month.
The Powder & the Glory tells the tale of Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, both of whom are immigrants to America in the early 1900s, and their revolutionary work on makeup, skincare and beauty, which birthed what is today a $150 billion health and cosmetics empire. Before their rise to the top, makeup was reserved only for actors and prostitutes, but Arden and Rubinstein shook up the beauty industry and encouraged women to feel differently about applying a little rouge on their faces. However, their passion for makeup didn't bring them close as friends, it instead made them bitter rivals who although they lived just blocks from each other in New York for over 50 years, never actually met.
It was this competition and rivalry that sparked the creation of innovative advertising and marketing techniques that would become part of the business landscape that shaped fashion and beauty public relations, and ultimately made them two of the wealthiest women in the world. The movie details some of the influences and impacts Arden and Rubinstein had in the beauty world such as the showcasing of the modernist design in their salons and the need to intensify makeup when close-ups become more prominent in movies. The two were also vocal in the empowerment and equality of women in America.
The documentary features interviews with historians, authors, former Arden employees and former models. The Powder & the Glory DVD and companion book War Paint by Lindy Woodhead are available from Shop PBS.
Photo Credit: documentaries.wordpress.com
Tags: Beauty PR
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Comments (1)
I was lucky enough to catch this on my dvr. I really had no idea the competition that drove these woman. Facinating look into the history of their companies - esp the part that neither had contingency plans for their passing.
Posted by Paula | March 25, 2009 9:40 AM
Posted on March 25, 2009 09:40