After taking a step back from her businesses, SoSu Cosmetics and Dripping Gold, in 2022, Suzanne Jackson is back in the driving seat of both successful Irish brands, and wasting no time in both celebrating and creating new milestones.
Marking 10 years of business this year, Jackson has been taking fans and beauty lovers down memory lane, reposting her original video blogs about her first ever products and reminiscing about her blogging days. Speaking to RTÉ Lifestyle this week, she said it was a "rebirth of SoSu Cosmetics".
"I can't believe it's 10 years", she said. "When I think about it, I'm like, wow. And it's a real testament to the brand to have stood the test of time in regards to 10 years in business. And I feel like we're only getting started now."
It's clear that the entrepreneur has much to celebrate - not least her collaboration with Ireland Fashion Week this October after coming on as the Official Makeup Partner for the event.
"For us this year, a 10 years in business is a real milestone. And when I stepped back into the business, obviously, I went looking for a really, really good creative director, which we stumbled upon as Paula Callan, who we have a great relationship with.
"So when I saw Irish Fashion Week announced in the press, I was like, we have to be a part of this for 10 years in business. "Being an Irish brand, being the first Irish brand in terms of that influencer-led brand, and then collaborating with Ashley in Irish fashion. It just felt like such a really good partnership."
Speaking this week, Ashley McDonnell, entrepreneur and founder of Ireland Fashion Week and podcaster, told RTÉ Lifestyle that Jackson was "on our vision board right from the beginning, not just because of the amazing brands that she has, but also the advocacy that she's had over the years with Irish designers and constantly wearing Irish designs".
Taking place from 6-10 October across the city, Ireland Fashion Week is set to be a game changing event for Irish fashion and beauty. With seven shows throughout the week, McDonnell explained that each show will have a clear theme.
"Every show isn't for everyone, but there is a show for everyone in terms of style", she added. "That means we're able to get really creative and lean into the story behind each of those shows."
The week kicks off with Sportswear, following by Streetwear. Tuesday will bring the Modern Heritage show while Wednesday features the Graduate Show, "which has the theme of the Irish Sea, so a very creative one to play on with makeup", McDonnell said.
Thursday will see the mixed designers show, working to the theme of Irish Roots. Friday will have the Contemporary show, followed by the finale: the Heritage show.
"So we can tell a really different story and reflect not just the locations and the designs and the collections that we're going to see, but obviously tell that story through the makeup looks as well."
It's been an "intense" process organising the event, McDonnell said: "We just couldn't move fast enough. We had over 240 applications. We've conducted over 70 interviews. We're now in the final stages of whittling it down to the 57 designers who will showcase that week."
Once the final list is confirmed, the brands will head to a "fashion boot camp" designed to further prep them for business in the fashion industry.
"It's not just a week of shows. We're incubating brands", McDonnell said. "We've got a tech fund of seven and a half million euro, and we've got a million euros to spend on production across shows. So we really see this as a platform to catapult brands, designers, but also their businesses. And we're there to give them all that support."
In the months leading up to the event, Jackson noted how she'll be turning to SoSu's new Creative Director, Paula Callan - a celebrated makeup artist who came on board in October - for advice. "Having Paula Callen involved as well from a creative director perspective, she's done this before with many brands over the years, so she's just as excited as I am."
Reflecting on her 10 years in business, Jackson highlighted what she's learned from her customers: "It is all about basics for the customer. She doesn't really like to buy too much into trends. She doesn't really like to buy too much into what's happening at that moment. She likes her basics, her foundations, her lip liners."
Innovating through seeking out new technologies from Korea and delving more into multiuse products has been key for the brand. "And then obviously being affordable luxury, ensuring that the price point is desirable. And we know that in Ireland everything has gone up at the moment. So keeping that luxury there affordable is really what we're all about and continue to power through."
As for what fans can expect at the event, Jackson explained: "Everyone's just all about fresh skin at the moment, fresh looks, not so much the heavy glam anymore. It really just depends on the theme of the show.
"But when you do look at Fashion Week, it's never really your typical makeup. It tends to be just a little bit out there. It can be very pale, it's very dramatic, lots of colour, glitter. So I'm sure it will definitely tell a story and change throughout."
Spotlighting Irish creativity is at the heart of Ireland Fashion Week, McDonnell said, and won't just be about fashion:
"We don't only have designers, but we also have musicians, we have poets, we have really everyone that you would want to have involved in putting Irish creativity on a platform."
