Leeds beauty brand takes a stand against Donald Trump

Leeds-based beauty brand Illamasqua, which is backed by strategic brand consultancy Propaganda, has taken a stand against Donald Trump.

The new President of the United States has been no stranger to controversy, but make up brand Illamasqua has become one of the first companies to make a stand against him.

Trump has not been officially in power yet for a month, having been inaugurated on 20 January, but has faced the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn over calls as a civilian to Russian officials, a worldwide uproar over his travel ban imposed on seven ‘Muslin-majority’ countries, and kickback from Mexico and the rest of the world over plans to build a wall on the Mexican border.

In a statement, the beauty brand founder Julian Kynaston said: “We believe in the freedom of expression, equality and diversity. That’s why we are horrified by President Trump’s actions to date. We refuse to remain silent while extreme right-wing populism gains momentum…wherever it is happening. As such we will never knowingly sell our products to people who support President Trump’s values.”

It said that to be part of the Illamasqua ‘community’ and buy its products, people should pledge to human fundamentalism values:

“We’re realistic. We know we can’t stop anyone buying our products. But we also know that no matter how hard some people work to make themselves beautiful on the outside, make-up can never hide the ugliness inside. Prejudice, sexism and racism should never be tolerated. Whether you’re a brand or an individual join us and, together, we will all go down in history for challenging facism.”