photo credit: tokidoki
Surely you’ve run into the tokidoki crew before! These “criminally cute” characters have made their way onto everything from t-shirts and handbags to luggage and cell phones. Even fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld has been immortalized in the world of tokidoki!
photo credit: tokidoki
Now a partnership with Sephora will enable you to transform your look in true tokidoki style. A provocative and playful mix of colors, textures and must-have accessories define this exciting new beauty brand available exclusively at Sephora this month. Pop pigment shades for eyes, lips and face come together alongside professional tools and accessories, all inspired by tokidoki’s cast of characters, like the milk stealing Moofia and the sweet and prickly SANDy.
We sat down with Creative Director and Co-Founder of tokidoki, Simone Legno, to learn more about his larger-than-life characters and their plans for the future.
MFP: Can you introduce us to some of your characters?
SL: I have different groups, but probably the most popular are SANDy and Bastardino. They’re the Cactus Friends. The idea is that sometimes the world can be cold and scary, especially for cute things, so they need something pretty tough like a cactus suit to protect them.
MFP: Do these characters ever reflect the way you personally feel about the world?
SL: Maybe in the past, when I was in my late twenties, I still needed a cactus suit. Out there, especially for an artist, there are people who want to take advantage of you. I was very lucky to find my business partners of six years, Pooneh Mohajer and Ivan Arnold. We’ve become a family. We even live next door to each other! I really do think that artists need a cactus suit sometimes though. Out there it is very wild.
MFP: How did this world of tokidoki start?
SL: tokidoki started as my personal artistic diary. I finished design school and I put my website up. I was starting to study Japanese at the time and I very much liked the word “tokidoki” which means “sometimes.” The idea is that sometimes things happen by coincidence and sometimes dreams come true. My idea was that if I put up this website, someone will see it and something magical will happen- something will change in my life. And really it did. I started promoting myself and my website. I kept networking and it eventually brought thousands of people to my website, sometimes even 15-17,000 a day. One of these people was my business partner, Ivan Arnold. He said, “We love this artwork! Let’s discuss about bringing you to LA and building this website into a real brand.”
MFP: It sounds like you always knew tokidoki would branch out into fashion and beauty. Why have you chosen Sephora as the exclusive retailer for your cosmetic line?
SL: We belong to this world of affordable luxury that is artistic but friendly. That’s why I think Sephora is a great partner, because their brand is exclusive and classic, but very friendly. They have a very familiar retail environment that makes it the perfect place to be! They understand the relationship between fun, creativity, self-expression and color unlike any other retailer.
photo credit: Sephora.com
Don’t let the cuteness of these characters fool you; this color collection impresses the most experienced makeup aficionados. With immaculate attention to detail such as artist approved chisel tip applicators, (the same tip which Simone uses to create his characters!), indigenous Japanese and Italian ingredients and professionally milled powder formulations, every aspect of the line brings together art, color and performance for an unforgettable experience.
tokidoki, exclusively at Sephora, is now available on Sephora.com and at all Sephora stores, as well as by calling 1-877-SEPHORA.
