ELLE x Shiseido
MARCH|2022 - Spain's First Digital Beauty Editorial
Created in collaboration with ELLE and Shiseido, this groundbreaking project marked a significant milestone in beauty publishing as the first beauty editorial in Spain to feature fully digital models.
Bringing together fashion, beauty, and emerging technology, the editorial showcased Shudu and Dagny in a series of striking beauty looks inspired by the latest makeup collection from Shiseido. The production explored how traditional beauty artistry could be translated into a digital medium while maintaining the creativity, craftsmanship, and visual impact of a luxury beauty campaign.
Renowned makeup artist José Belmonte developed each look by hand, creating detailed beauty concepts that were later digitised and applied to the virtual models. From bold graphic liners and metallic gold accents to vibrant turquoise eyes and multicoloured fantasy makeup, every look celebrated experimentation, colour, and artistic expression.
Working closely with ELLE and Shiseido, The Diigitals transformed these designs into a series of hyperreal digital beauty portraits. The project demonstrated how virtual models can become a new canvas for beauty storytelling, enabling creative teams to push beyond the boundaries of traditional photography while preserving the artistry at the heart of the process.
Featuring five distinct makeup concepts, the editorial showcased the versatility of digital beauty production. Shudu and Dagny became vehicles for exploring everything from futuristic graphic eyeliner and luminous metallic finishes to vivid colour palettes inspired by fantasy and contemporary fashion.
More than a technological experiment, the project represented a new chapter for beauty publishing. By combining luxury cosmetics, editorial creativity, and digital innovation, ELLE, Shiseido, and The Diigitals created a beauty production that looked toward the future while remaining rooted in the expertise of the artists behind it.
As digital and physical creative practices continue to converge, the editorial stands as an early example of how beauty campaigns can evolve, blending traditional artistry with new technologies to create entirely new forms of visual storytelling.