The Next Magnificent - Gregoris Pyrpylis

He’s the new guy at Hermes, tasked to lead its beauty studio – the youngest of the brand’s metiers that also has the potential to be its widest-reaching. So what does Gregoris Pyrpylis plan to bring to the table at this revered house of good taste? Gordon Ng finds out when the Greek makeup artist visited Singapore last month – his maiden trip since his appointment as creative director of Hermes Beauty.

- 

The house of Hermes does not rush. For illustration: It took 85 years following its founding as a saddlery atelier in 1837 to branch out into handbags – as natural and easy as the progression might seem. And it was not till 1967 that it introduced women’s ready-to-wear to accompany the luxurious, playful-meets-practical (and in-demand) accessories that it had by then long become synonymous with. So while it debuted its beauty metier two years ago – a move that has been as measured as the ones before – it was not until this past January that it announced its creative director: Gregoris Pyrpylis.

Hailing from Greece, the handsome 35-year-old is somewhat of an insider secret. His CV boasts stints at an eclectic range of industry authorities: MAC (where he got his start in 2006); Tom Pecheux (he was the makeup guru’s first assistant); Bioderma (where he became the world’s first makeup artist to represent a dermatological brand); and Shiseido (he was appointed its ambassador in Europe). Judging from his Instagram account (@gregoris – it’s blue-ticked), he’s a favourite of celebrity beauties who move and dress to their own beat: Alexa Chung, Laetitia Casta, the French actress Adele Exarchopoulos to name a few. In short, he’s a bit of a dark horse in the glam-obsessed, showgirl world of beauty – apt for Hermes, if you think about it.