FASHION Magazine

By Kim Izzo

Hollywood Boulevard—that famous stretch of pavement known for Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the original Walk of Fame and yes, ultra-tacky souvenir shops and seedy tourist attractions—is undergoing a transformation. What began with the restoration of the El Capitan movie house in 1991 and continued with the completion of the Kodak Theatre, home of the Oscars, is spilling further down the street. There is Geisha House, a super-chic sushi eatery, and the redesigned Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; American Apparel has opened, with a W hotel, H&M and Whole Foods set to follow. Hollywood is poised—and determined—to restore old Tinseltown to its former glory days of glamour.
It’s only fitting, then, that when Napoleon Perdis, the man and the brand—the number one prestige cosmetics line in Australia—decided to go Hollywood, he chose this street for his flagship store and makeup academy. FASHION met up with Perdis at the boutique’s launch party, where he lived it up with celebrities like fellow Aussie Melissa George and supermodel Beverly Johnson.
Larger than life, Perdis is a jolly ball of energy with a penchant for arm waving and rapid-fire tangents. Says he: “I’m very ambitious. I love glamour. I love beautiful things. I love beautiful people. There’s no such thing as ugly, because you just work it, you know?”
The Napoleon Perdis Hollywood boutique is gorgeously designed with an eclectic vibe of baroque meets deco meets Dorothy Draper. Individual vanities line the walls, so clients can perch atop stools and get the look they crave. There’s also a VIP room, which Perdis aims to be “the most decadent, spoiling space.” When the doors are closed, it becomes soundproof, so “celebrities can literally do anything they want to.”
Even non-celebs can purchase the VIP package, which includes 24-hour access to a makeup artist, a set number of massages, pedicures and manicures, a private entrance, and a concierge service that goes beyond makeup to booking private jets or even an exclusive dinner in the Caribbean. In other words, a VIP client can have whatever suits her fancy, as long as she’s willing to ante up US$10,000 per year. 
For your own taste of the Napoleon Perdis experience, the brand launched in Canada just over a year ago and is exclusive to the Bay, something Perdis is thrilled with. “The Bay is amazing for us, because it is the heart of Canada.” He also feels that he knows the Canadian woman and what she wants and needs from her cosmetics shopping experience.
“Doing makeup for Canadians just means one thing: You can’t be over the top. They love fresh, clean makeup. It’s that simple,” he explains. “I love how Canadians seem reserved, but once you open that reserve, they are a very responsive and reactive consumer.”
Want to see Perdis in action? The makeup artist has a reality show coming out sometime this year.

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