Men’s cosmetics brand TRIBE announced its official collaboration with three leading New York based artists, Jamal Scott, Matthew Ardel and Daniel Avshalumov.
The three fashion related artists have each created limited edition works of art inspired by the energy and creativity of New York Fashion Week. The collaborative collection will be featured on limited edition packaging, (available in all 5 shades) of its most successful product Tribe Skin Fix ($18 USD) for the month of September 2021.
Tribe’s Skin Fix, a multi shade concealer, instantly hides blemishes, evens out skin tone and hides redness and wrinkles. Skin Fix has become a market leader in normalizing the stigma of men using color concealer and this collaboration fits into Tribe’s larger brand narratives. According to Tribe Co-Founder, Matt Rodrigues, “ The artists that participated in this collaboration have all broken norms of society and continue to. They are all successful in their fields because they chose to ignore societies conventions, stay true to their identity, and find a path to be their best self. This is what Tribe hopes to encourage in our customers and all people, to show the world your best self and make your goals and dreams a reality.”
Check out our interview with the founders.
Tell us what inspired you to create Tribe?
The inspiration to create Tribe came from our experience of needing a solution to address a common problem and a desire to help others similarly situated. One day, I had a glaring blemish the night before meeting a big client for the first time. I wanted to focus on this meeting and not have to think about how I appeared to the client. Having previously worked in the entertainment industry I knew firsthand the power of color cosmetics to enhance a person’s appearance and impart confidence, so after catching up at lunch Matt and I went to a Sephora to pick up some concealer. I had heard of makeup for men as a big trend in Asia so I asked about it. We were told that makeup is gender neutral – and we agree. However, as we looked around there were many images of women wearing makeup and glaringly none of men. So I began to wonder, which of these women look like me? Which one has the look I am going for, the one that says I am here to close a deal? Given how society has progressed and what we were just told about makeup being gender neutral we felt that there was and still is a need for men to see images of men they can relate to and using a product to solve a problem. It was at this moment, that the idea for Tribe was born.
The Knockturnal: What were some challenges bringing the brand off of the ground?
The Tribe: While we were working on Tribe, Covid-19 began to develop into a pandemic and shutdowns were happening globally. This caused several issues with our international suppliers for containers and custom boxes as well as our onshore laboratory and manufacturer in New Jersey. We also were unwilling to compromise on our deeply held values such as the product being cruelty free, ethically sourced, and inclusive. We remained diligent in our search and found a laboratory that shared the same principles, immigrant owned, and employed migrants and people of color. This alignment to our values and cultural fit remains the main driver in our vendor-partner selection.
The Knockturnal: Who is an important mentor in your career?
The Tribe: We have several people we consult and are both spiritual. However, the one person that has become very important to us and Tribe has been Bill Wackermann. We brought Bill on to manage our PR, however we have been very fortunate to receive his guidance and mentorship.
The Knockturnal: Tell us a bit more about yourself and your background in beauty.
The Tribe: Matt began his career as a model in New York. Pergrin worked on the production side, having produced music videos for Grammy winning artist.
The Knockturnal: Tell us about your new Art Collaboration.
The Tribe: We’re very proud of our new Art Collaboration and in some ways it is a passion project. Tribe is about breaking norms and refusing to be boxed in by society’s expectations. For this first collaboration, we chose 3 people from the fashion industry and gave them an opportunity to showcase themselves as artists. Normally, like most people, they are boxed in and thought of only as one thing: models or a cosmetologist. Tribe wanted to enable these 3 to show society that they are more than that.
The Knockturnal: What are you looking forward to doing with the brand?
The Tribe: Tribe’s mission is to help men look and feel their best. We believe this is the foundation for exuding confidence and accomplishing goals. We look forward to continuing this mission by helping to define the modern man. This brand is both about useful products and lifestyle.