Elle Magazine: Sarah Tanno on Haus Labs & Gaga

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Sarah Tanno: What its like to launch makeup line with Gaga

 

"There’s a memorable scene in Lady Gaga’s 2017 Netflix documentary Gaga: Five Foot Two, when she’s in a room with her team, sans makeup, under pressure as she’s approaching a deadline for her record. She’s about to change locations. “There’s just a lot of people outside,” someone warns, as the clamoring crowd of fans and paparazzi on the street below them grows louder and louder. “Go ahead then,” she tells her longtime makeup artist, Sarah Tanno, who proceeds to apply a dramatic black cat eye. As the product piles on, you can see her transforming from Stefani Germanotta to Lady Gaga, the global pop star we all recognize. She takes one look at her makeup before walking out the door, then gets bombarded by camera flashes and fans screaming her name."

I’ve since learned from Tanno everything there is to know about the process of creating Gaga’s red carpet beauty looks, the influence of drag on her art, and now, inside intel on what it has been like to launch Haus Laboratories. “When [Gaga] asked me to be part of this with her—I could cry talking about it—we agreed it isn't just makeup. We got to do this as two best friends creating a brand together,” Tanno tells ELLE.com. “This is our baby. We want it to not only succeed, but we want to see people love themselves.”

What inspired the creative process for Haus Laboratories?

We wanted the message to be even more important than the makeup. It was really about creating something that can help you with your self-invention and self-expression. We were really celebrating all forms of artistry from the lightest to the heaviest kind of glam because you know, we're known for that and want to empower people to also have that time for yourself. We want to share that you deserve self-love. And so that's really where the brand started.

What were on your mood boards?

With Gaga and I, we like to share through imagery. Sometimes I'll make mood boards. Gaga is also very visual as well, so we share things back and forth. I have the weirdest things on my inspiration board all the time if I'm trying to get an idea across. I really go into different textures whether—sometimes it's like soot or oil. If I'm trying to get across a certain color of black—I love to put on there her pleasers [shoes] that she always wears because it's showing something gritty, downtown. That's the messaging that I'm trying to get across. It'll be certain photographers that we love, or a time period of makeup that really inspires me. Also music to get across the vibe. It's not just, "This is the style of eyeliner I'm creating." There's a tone, a reason, and a messaging behind every single thing that we do. There's a reason that that gold is that color."

 

There is a lot more to the interview in the link.

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I like this article because it illustrates nicely how Haus Labs products are designed to solve actual problems with makeup that Gaga and Sarah have had, and was tested in that rough environment to ensure it met their standards.   That is what makes this a legit startup business with it's own identity, rather than a simple licensing agreement and cash grab.