Vegan, clean formulas in bold colorways, gender-neutral campaigns and packaging, fun products for everyday wear that are easy to apply on-the-go and suit all age ranges—Milk Makeup set the trends before they hit mainstream.The brand was born in 2016 out of the NYC-based fashion photography studio Milk Studios, home to MADE Fashion Week, which was the launching pad of design talent like Proenza Schouler and Joseph Altuzarra. Milk Makeup’s co-founding team brought together esteemed talents in beauty product development, publishing, and film production for a collaborative, creative environment: Mazdack Rassi (now Chief Brand Officer), Zanna Roberts Rassi, Georgie Greville, and Dianna Ruth (COO and Head of Development). A team looking for a new approach to cosmetics, makeup, and skincare for a modern consumer who wanted convenient yet cool products that was more about individual expression than consumer categories.With Sephora as a pre-existing client of the Milk Studios business, the entry point was there. In fact, they pitched the brand to the retail giant without having launched a single product, but the undeniable star power of the concept meant the retailer was willing to take a chance. Milk Makeup launched into 50 of their US stores in March 2016 complete with performances by Santigold and Salt-N-Pepa (plus six foot-tall gondolas). The initial collection was comprised of 85 SKUs across cosmetics and skincare, including blotting papers, facial oil, and the trademark chubby sticks that have become synonymous with the brand. Within six months the brand had tripled its doors.