For every event in my life there is a song. Recovering from a broken heart, I discovered Deborah Lippmann Collection’s "No more Drama" - a tan/pink-beige created for Mary J Blige - and I have loved and bought every polish in her collection ever since.
With a degree in music, and like many aspiring artists, a day job, Deborah Lippmann started off as a manicurist while moonlighting as a songbird by night. With her sights set on New York City, and armed with a file and a prayer, she struggled to book gigs in smoky jazz clubs.
But she kept her day job, her “you’re not done until you’re nails are done!” credo helping her to quickly establish an elite clientele including Cher and Martha Stewart. After an editor from Allure anonymously sat across from her and tagged Lippmann in an article as "one of the best manicurists in the country, fashion insiders began requesting her for editorials and runway shows for designers like Zac Posen, Versace, Valentino, Balenciaga, and Donna Karan.
At the same time, celebs were spreading her name via word of mouth. One of her fave clients, Mariah Carey, was preparing to sing her "Prince of Egypt" nominated song at the 1998 Academy Awards, inspiring Deborah to compliment Mimi's look by mixing a special color for the event. Mariah gave "Satin Doll" her stamp of approval, and word of the sheer silver hue spread. Beyonce, Madonna, and Kelly Ripa are just a few of her other celebrity clients and muses for her collection. To celebrate her tenth year as founder, CEO, and creator of her signature line of nail lacquers and treatments for hands and feet, she is introducing a special new 3-piece limited edition: SUPERSTAR, a
shimmery fudge, sequined black FUNKY CHUNK, and sparkling RUBY RED SLIPPERS. (Available at LippmannCollection.com)
Through it all, Deborah has continued to pay homage to her love of music, not only naming all of her shades after songs but releasing two well-received albums of her own: "Nightingale" and last year's "Vinyl," prompting Vanity Fair music editor, Lisa Robinson, to write: “Deborah is posed to be the new voice in the girl group that includes such jazzy singers as Norah Jones, Diana Reeves and Diana Krall."
Why not judge for yourself and catch her at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in NYC on Monday, November 2 at 8:30pm.
- Michelyn Camen
Fashiontribes Editor-at-Large Michelyn Camen is a New York City based writer and consultant who is a former Brandweek Marketer of the Year and Ad Age 100 recipient. She slipped off her power suit to pursue her passion for beauty and fragrance. Camen is a fragrance specialist and the owner of FifthSense N.Y.C., where she consults for niche luxury, fashion, beauty and fragrance companies. She is an Editor for Fragrantica.com, the Fragrance Editor for UptownSocial.net, the former Senior Contributing Writer for Sniffapalooza Magazine, the former New in Niche Columnist for Basenotes and was the Editorial Director for Beauty News NYC & LA. Email her at fifthsensenyc@aol.com or Michelyn AT Fashiontribes DOT com.
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