![]() Then, in 1990, she made a choice that would change the beauty industry and the evolution of the little Canadian brand that could.Īt the time, Madonna was preparing to launch her now-legendary Blond Ambition World Tour, a theatrical stadium tour packed with chart-topping hits, high-energy choreography, and over-the-top costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, including Madonna’s iconic conical bra. Unsolicited celebrity endorsements were key to MAC’s initial success, and one of the earliest came from this pop icon, who started using MAC products and was even photographed wearing a T-shirt embossed with the brand’s name on it. One client in particular became an instant fan: Madonna, who at the time was arguably the biggest pop star on the planet. In the years to follow, MAC grew quickly as makeup artists filled their kits with the brand’s vivid shades and spread the word to their clients. The duo’s next major step happened soon after, when the first MAC makeup counter opened in Toronto’s downtown Hudson Bay department store. Make-Up Art Cosmetics, from which came MAC, officially launched in March 1984 as an inclusive, cruelty-free and socially responsible makeup brand, with Toskan as creative director and Angelo as marketing director. But demand started to grow as the magazine credits racked up and word-of-mouth popularity grew. At first, Toskan and Angelo sold the carefully crafted products straight from Toskan’s salon to fellow makeup artists for their own kits, as well as models and photographers. The homemade cosmetic line quickly blossomed in its early days. ![]() That original lipstick photographed beautifully, and soon the duo’s lipstick line expanded to include 23 other crayon-inspired shades, as well as a small range of pencils, bases and powders. Toskan claims it was the first matte lipstick ever to look the same on the lips as it did in the tube. Joined by Toskan’s future brother-in-law, chemist Vic Casale, they cooked up their first lipstick, which was inspired by a bold pink Crayola crayon named Flamingo. The duo worked out of the kitchen in the back of one of Angelo’s hair salons to fulfill their professional makeup needs. (Toskan had already been crafting his own hand-trimmed natural bristle brushes to use in his kit.) The two Canadians began working on a range of cosmetics for fashion models that would be able to hold up under the glare and heat of photography studio lights for fashion editorials. The following year he met Toskan, a sought-after makeup artist who had become frustrated with mass-market makeup products that faltered in commercial shoots. It all started in 1969, when Angelo moved to Toronto from Montreal and opened a chain of unisex hair salons called the Hair Cutting Place. ![]() More on that later…but first, a little background. One of those key products was an “intense matte red lipstick” shade known as Russian Red that was created specifically for an early MAC convert who was about to “Vogue” her way across the globe on her third worldwide concert tour. How did the brand become so big? Quality and innovation, of course…but the worldwide explosion of the makeup brand can be traced back to a few defining moments, people and, of course, products. Canada is a country that is respected worldwide and we have incredible talent here, as is clear from our founders, Toskan and Angelo, who saw hole in the beauty industry back in the ’80s and brought this now global brand to life,” McKay recently told me. ![]() “The values that have been so integral to the brand are grounded in those Canadian roots. “Many people don’t know that MAC was created in Canada, born right here in Toronto, and most of our products are still made here today, like our iconic lipsticks and our Studio Fix Foundation,” says Jane McKay, a Senior National Artist who has been with the brand for 30 years. Founded in downtown Toronto in the early ’80s by makeup artist and photographer Frank Toskan and beauty salon owner Frank Angelo (dubbed “The Franks”), the brand has a following of countless loyal beauty addicts, and became a beacon for social justice, raising millions in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Make-up Art Cosmetics – or MAC, as it’s more commonly known – is a true Canadian success story. Part of an ongoing series of 29Secrets stories, taking a deep dive into the history of legendary beauty products and iconic fashion and pop culture moments…
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