Marie Redding, Senior Editor05.06.21
Urban Decay (UD) is launching the Prince Collection on May 27th—and the limited edition packaging is going to be "super-rare" the brand says—and will pay tribute to the musical genius of Prince.
Update — A Sneak Peek at the UD x Prince collection
The team at Urban Decay collaborated with The Prince Estate to create the collection. It will feature new products inspired by the legendary musician's iconic style.
The collection will feature purple, of course—"highlighted alongside gold and black to honor his vibrant self-expression," UD states. (We LOVE the email that said: "We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life… and to introduce a partnership that drips purple.")
Wende Zomnir, Urban Decay co-founder and self-described "Prince fangirl," comments:
"We couldn't possibly imitate someone as legendary as Prince, and to compare him to a palette would diminish what he represents. It's easy to say why this collection makes sense on the surface – his makeup looks and our shared love of purple – but we did our best to reflect his energy on a deeper level."
"We found his ethos of not asking permission to be who he was and owning it so boldly aligned with our values of breaking the mold and championing all forms of beauty."
Created in Close Collaboration with Prince's Camp
The team at Urban Decay worked closely with key members of Prince's artistic camp to create the collection and campaign, including—- Trevor Guy—Creative Director
- Damaris Lewis—Prince's beloved muse and friend who began touring with him in 2012
- Randee St. Nicholas—renowned photographer/director who captured art for the campaign, called "Living Loud in Color," and was a close collaborator with Prince for three decades
"I'm very excited...I hope this collection inspires you to make your own rules, just as Prince did for so many decades," says Damaris Lewis.
Lewis is an actress, model, and dancer who first joined Prince's band the New Power Generation in 2012 on his Welcome 2 Australia Tour, and continued performing alongside him during the final chapters of his career.
"It's incredibly important to carry on Prince's legacy in a way that truly gets it right," says Randee St. Nicholas. "He challenged you to rise to his level of work ethic and intensity – not in a way that was threatening or fearful, you just didn't want to disappoint him."
St. Nicholas adds, "He made you want to be your best, perform at the highest caliber and step outside of your comfort zone. When shooting, it was important to embody this boldness and freedom."
April 21st Marked 5 Years Since We Lost A Musical Icon
Fans around the world mourned the loss of Prince on April 21st, 2016. In this interview, Rolling Stone features details about the Paisley Park compound.The photo on the left above is from Prince's fashion archives via The Prince Estate on Instagram (@officialpaisleypark). April 21st marked five years since his death.
Paisley Park is the name of the iconic song—and Prince's home/recording studio, in Chanhassen, Minnesota, since 1987. He always wanted to one day open it to the public, so now it welcomes visitors as a museum, recording studio, and concert venue.
Stay tuned for more details about the UD Prince Collection—we are excited for a first glimpse of the packaging, coming soon!