Thom Walker Discusses A New Era For Givenchy Make-Up - British Vogue

Thom Walker is the British make-up artist leading Givenchy Make-up into a new era. Inspired by the make-up rituals of others from a young age, it wasn’t until a chance placement in the Harvey Nichols’ beauty department that Walker was able to experiment with make-up as a vehicle for creative expression. 

After 10 years working in beauty retail, Walker began working on editorials for various youth culture magazines, and has since worked with world-renowned photographers Nick Knight, Richard Burbidge and Paolo Roversi, and young London designers including Maximilian Davis and Molly Goddard.  In his new role as creative director, Walker will be overseeing everything from creative campaigns to product line development. Here, British Vogue sits down with Walker to discuss his creative process and vision for Givenchy Make-up.

What is your earliest beauty memory?

My earliest memory would be of my godmother. She was fab – a redhead, super glam. She loved make-up and loved clothes. I used to watch her get ready in this almost ritualistic way. I would have been probably about five or six. She would spend hours on it and she wouldn’t call it putting on make-up – but rather putting on her ablutions. It was just fascinating. 

When was the first time you actually got your hands on make-up in a creative way?

I did visual merchandising and interior design at university and one of my work placements was at Harvey Nichols in Leeds doing the windows. I got to look after the beauty department and so that was really my first way into the world. I got super friendly with the MAC crew and ended up getting a job with them for 10 years. I just picked up a brush and got going. MAC was amazing for training. When you’ve worked with a wealthy Russian woman you can handle a photographer on a bad day. And it was great as MAC worked a lot on fashion shows especially local ones, which was a great experience.

And how did you branch out into editorial work?

It was around 2008 – the Boombox era – when I was experimenting a lot on myself and my friends. I’m not a club kid, but I did have lots of friends in that scene so I would go out with them now and then. Thank god there aren’t any pictures. I have dirty blonde hair with bits of red and at that point I dyed it black to express myself and there was lots of black make-up.

Sounds amazing!

I actually got photographed by Tim Walker for an issue of W magazine. It was a shoot called EastEnders as we all lived in East London. And that got me noticed within the London fashion scene. I started getting booked for jobs and working with different photographers and it took off enough so that I could eventually leave MAC. 

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Fast-forward to now and you’ve landed this incredible role as creative director for Givenchy Make-up. Why is it such a perfect fit?

I actually knew I’d got the job in 2020 but I haven't been able to speak about it until now because of Covid. So it’s so great to finally be able to talk about it. I feel like my work has the same DNA as the brand. I’ve always tried to keep an element of simplicity in my work that is timeless. Even if I’m trying to push myself creatively, if I’m doing something super bold, like body painting, I’ve always tried to bend it to be quite simple. I definitely want to take that into the products that we’ll be creating. 

With that in mind, what’s your vision for the brand?

To create long lasting, iconic products that are innovative – clever shades, clever textures. But yet are really timeless. Sustainability is also a big thing for me. As a make-up artist there’s so much wasted in our industry and even in our make-up kits, so I really want to focus on packaging and bringing sustainability to the brand.

Can you tell me a bit about your creative process? 

I always try to find an image, whether it’s from a book or from online. Then I’ll dig deeper. I go into my studio and just get lost in references and spend hours really editing. It’s so nice to have that time to gather inspiration. 

So what is it that make-up does for you on an emotional level?

For me, it’s about confidence and escapism. It’s also very therapeutic. When you’re doing a model’s make-up it can be an incredibly bonding moment. And it always sets the tone for how the day goes. As a make-up artist, it’s our job to almost make the photographer’s job easier, because we’re the first contact that the model has. So we play a big part in setting that tone.

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What are some of your favourite colours, textures and trends at the moment?

I think there’s always so much power in a red lipstick. Because there are many different shades of red: browny, orangey, bluish, pinkish. I also love creating different textures on the skin, whether it’s matte or shine. 

And what about eyes? We’re still living in a world where everyone’s faces are obscured by masks…

That’s interesting because that’s going to be my first category for the brand, but sadly not for a couple of years as these things take time. 

It will be worth the wait I’m sure! One last question: beauty has become part of this cultural conversation in a way it has never before. Why do you think it’s happening now? And what do you think it says about the world we live in?

I think the world has just opened up in general. We’ve got Instagram, we’ve got TikTok. There are so many different kinds of mediums that are so exciting to kind of be a part of; beauty has never been more inclusive. The world has opened up, but also got that much smaller because we’re so much more connected and we can share ideas. 

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Thom Walker Discusses A New Era For Givenchy Make-Up - British Vogue
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