NOT A BRAND, A VISION.
Here we are in Miami for the YSL Beauty Love Club, where the city’s vibrant glamour meets the timeless elegance of YSL’s heritage. At the heart of it all, I had the privilege of speaking with Stephan Bezy (Global Brand President) of YSL Beauty, a leader who reminds us of the power of spirit, self-expression, and the beauty of being unapologetically yourself. In this new era for YSL Beauty, it goes beyond beauty, it’s about purpose. It’s about culture. It’s a message to society. You don’t have to excuse yourself, just be yourself and enjoy who you are.
DUYGU We’re in Miami — it feels like a new era for YSL Beauty. What should we expect from this new chapter?
STEPHAN We’re a global brand, so it’s quite natural. In the past, we even did events, it was before COVID. We did some events in Palm Springs when Kaia Gerber was the face of the brand at the time, and we did some YSL Beauty stations. It was kind of a ‘gas station in the desert’. It was around six years ago, something like that. We did some kind of pop-up in New York. Our markets often do pop-ups, animations and special events locally. And occasionally, on a global level, we do Paris. Beyond that we also try to do events in Asia or in America, the big continents. We can’t go everywhere. But here, for instance, we have mostly our European and US teams. Looking back, it’s true that it has been a few years since we had an event in the US and I think it matches the time. We really changed dimensions.
“To be true to YSL is being true to the spirit of YSL, and to keep contributing to the transformation of our era.“
-Stephan Bezy
DUYGU YSL is both heritage and innovation. How do you balance the two, especially for a legacy brand?
STEPHAN You also must stay super cool, loved by girls and boys who were not yet born when the brand was born. They can relate to the brand, and they feel it fresh, and it resonates. I think it all goes to the DNA of the brand because M. Saint Laurent used to say, in French “J’ai participé à la transformation de mon époque.” So, we would say, I contributed to the transformation of my era . He said that at the end of his career. It was almost a testimony, reflecting on his creations and every thing he brought to women and men — how his work resonated with the here and now. This is what we at YSL Beauty admire about M. Saint Laurent and one of our key missions is to perpetuate and transmit his heritage and DNA. We always remain deeply attached to that idea — it says so much about his spirit. I always tell my team: to be true to YSL is being true to the spirit of YSL, and to keep contributing to the transformation of our era.
DUYGU Truly incredible.
STEPHAN As an era changes, generation changes. We see it happening before our eyes. Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennials, Gen X and boomers as well. Every time we meet those generations, we learn a lot about who they are, their dreams, their aspirations, how much they change. And one of the missions we have in the brand is to try to reflect and to stay in tune, to resonate with the era we live in, to be authentic, to be sincere, to be true, to make sense. I think this is how you touch people’s hearts. Not by forcing things, but by being honest and authentic. You can’t pretend to be cool; you either are, or you’re not. And if you try too hard, people can tell – especially the young generation. They’re experts in visual art, born into imagery, almost like marketing geniuses; life has taught them how to decode images.
DUYGU They live on social media — they do not use it.
STEPHAN They are part of social media and the creation of imagery itself. They’re image experts — you can’t fool them, and you can’t pretend to be someone you’re not. That’s why, every day, it’s so important for our team to stay truly connected: listening, collaborating, sharing, and always protecting the DNA of YSL. We constantly ask ourselves: how do we hybridize and meet them where they are?
How do we match who they are? Whether it’s through aesthetics, image, product formulas, packaging, design, events, or even gamification and Twitch, we look to every channel where genuine connection happens. In China, they’re on WeChat; in Japan, they’re on Line; in Korea, it’s Kakao. Everywhere, from YouTube to any other platform, they’re connected. That’s why it’s so important for us to engage with them wherever they are.
DUYGU But it’s also hard to stay cool and to use all these social media platforms, because it’s fast and sometimes too trendy. How does the industry keep up to speed with the rapid pace of it all?
STEPHAN It’s all about finding the right balance. You can become outdated very quickly. I’m lucky— I have a very talented and passionate team. The people at YSL Beauty are dedicated and genuinely love the spirit of the brand. It’s never by accident that someone joins our brand; people want to be part of it because they see themselves reflected in it. It’s not just about working in the beauty industry. People choose YSL Beauty.
DUYGU I think that’s the difference, because you can feel it from everywhere. It’s like a passionate brand, and its passionate people who work for it.
STEPHAN They live the brand. They love the brand. And it allows them to truly feel themselves.
DUYGU It’s almost like you can feel it in your DNA. How do you ensure the brand remains a pioneer amongst the luxury beauty brands?
STEPHAN Our teams are bold, daring, free, unapologetic. They are YSL girls and YSL boys. They are people who live their life unapologetically. They don’t have to excuse themselves. They love to take risks. They love to be bold. They love to be daring. They are smart. YSL is a smart brand. You know, M. Saint Laurent was always praising the portrait of women who are strong, free, independent, bold, daring, unapologetic. That’s how I see a woman: self-made, strong, relying on no one but herself. I think that’s deeply aspirational for young, smart, independent women – and men too. For people who recognize themselves in those venues, the brand is super aspirational. It’s truly a brand with beautiful heritage, with style, with genius. So, the aesthetics are incredible. There’s so much to do, so much inspiration. We want to stay modern by combining this respect for heritage and legacy.
DUYGU What differentiates YSL Beauty from other luxury beauty brands in an increasingly competitive market? I think it’s because the Cassandre logo is back. It’s heritage.
STEPHAN We never abandon it. We love to show it because it’s a piece of art. It was designed by Monsieur Cassandre.
DUYGU Honestly, it’s the best logo ever.
STEPHAN It doesn’t look like initials put together. It’s an artwork. It’s a piece of art. It’s extremely strong. We love to play with it in a very respectful way. It’s just the way it was developed. It shows the passion for the brand – how far people will go for this signature, for this logo. It’s our obsession, this incredible patrimony that M. Saint Laurent has given us. We mix that with a spirit, a drive to resonate with our time.
So, it means innovation, curiosity, openness, and flexibility: always taking risks, staying aware of what’s happening and changing, and seizing new moments as they come. M. Saint Laurent was never avant-garde or a futurist, nor was he conservative. He used to say he didn’t like the bourgeois. He was very chic, very elegant, and very modern in spirit. That’s the beauty, that’s why we say we are anchored in the brand. And to keep the pace, you have to be a little ahead of the curve. It’s true, I think, that the objects and the formulas are very irresistible.
DUYGU YSL Beauty products are statement pieces that you can change into anything.
STEPHAN We call them ‘pursable’ objects. You want to keep them in your purse. Yes. People are proud to show them because this is something about your aesthetics. I love reading the comments on Instagram about the products and the packaging—they make me blush sometimes.
DUYGU What was the creative vision behind the latest collaboration with Dua Lipa? It feels like YSL Cassandre came back in a very Gen-Z way.
STEPHAN It’s the égérie. We very carefully associate ourselves; we contact profiles who we think carries the value of the brand. It’s never opportunistic. It’s Dua Lipa for Lina. She’s perfect. She embodies the brand—made by herself, beautiful, bold, daring, unapologetic woman. She’s a portrait of that. The ambassadors we partner with love the brand; they choose YSL, just as we choose them. It’s always a mutual desire to work together. They recognize themselves in it. Austin Butler, for instance, is very proud to be the face of YSL because it resonates with how he sees masculinity—multifaceted, non-cliché, non conformist. And to be honest, we are very proud of that. In the values that we carry. I love that our fragrances carry a political statement. I claim the right to be myself, whoever I am, and to be respected as a human being. I am, myself.
DUYGU It’s important to feel comfortable with the brand – to see a statement, to see something real – especially when there are so many options out there.
STEPHAN So many brands, so many options. Why would I choose YSL?
DUYGU Exactly, I need it to feel like me!
STEPHAN And to be a beautiful product, with beautiful advertising, and great formulas is necessary, but it’s not enough.
DUYGU And beauty is all about the feeling. Standing with an issue is the important part.
STEPHAN Look, for instance, we wanted to give back to society. We wanted to have a commitment, a social commitment, and we are all very attached to it: Abuse is not love.
DUYGU That’s my last question: Could you tell us more about YSL Beauty’s “Abuse Is Not Love” program?
STEPHAN Our latest campaign gave me goosebumps. During pre-production, we validated the concept and it was a very fine line. If not perfectly executed, it could easily become tacky or even counterproductive. It had to be just right: sensitive, delicate, always on the edge. I was truly happy with what the director and team achieved—the actors were excellent, and they really conveyed the sense of fragility…
DUYGU The tone of the campaign is amazing. Because, you know, sometimes when you see that kind of campaign, it becomes abusive because of the words and the tone of voice, but this is perfect.
STEPHAN It’s true that I am a big fan. Why this cause? Because what we’re talking about, M. Saint Laurent’s vision of women. Women who are victims of abuse lose their freedom, they lose their boldness and it becomes impossible to be themselves. Supporting this cause feels natural for us – we want to help to protect women’s freedom.
Supporting this cause feels natural for us, because we want to help protect that. There are NGOs who are experts in this field; it’s not our direct expertise, but we can give them a voice and the opportunity to reach more people. We have already reached more than 1.3 billion people with the new campaign. We have educated more than 1.3 million people about the warning signs of abuse – especially GenZ. People might have the wrong perception of what a healthy relationship should be and that’s where the NGO’s come into play. We support through funding so they have the resources to go into colleges and universities to offer training about the warning signs of abuse. As an example, jealousy is not love, and isolation is not a sign of caring. When you love someone, you respect them—you don’t isolate them or become jealous because they’re with friends. That’s not right. I grew up in a society, even in France, where books and films made crimes of passion almost depicted as acceptable. That, luckily, doesn’t exist anymore.
“Nobody owns anyone. We own ourselves.“
-Stephan Bezy
DUYGU You have no right on another person’s life that much. You cannot own them.
STEPHAN No, you don’t. Nobody owns anyone. We own ourselves. So going back to this cause, it was very natural for us. A lot of work has gone into it – with Juleah Love at the forefront but the whole team is deeply involved. I can tell you how proud everyone is about the cause, especially the newcomers. Many people, especially women, are proud to join a team that stands for a cause like this.
DUYGU This is a brand with a statement and an idea. It makes a difference.
FROM BASED ISTANBUL N45 10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE: BRAVE MONOLOGUES
Interview by Duygu Bengi
Photography by Yağız Yeşilkaya