Givenchy Makeup Has a New Creative Director: Thom Walker Shares His Inspirations and Vision for the Brand

Thom Walker is the British makeup artist leading Givenchy Makeup into a new era. 

Walker was inspired by the makeup rituals of others from a young age, but it wasn’t until a chance placement in the Harvey Nichols’ beauty department that he was able to experiment with makeup as a vehicle for creative expression. 

After 10 years working in beauty retail, Walker began working on editorials for various youth culture magazines, and has since worked with world-renowned photographers Nick Knight, Richard Burbidge and Paolo Roversi, as well as young London designers including Maximilian Davis and Molly Goddard.  In his new role as creative director, Walker will be overseeing everything from creative campaigns to product line development for Givenchy. Here, Vogue sits down with Walker to discuss his creative process and vision for Givenchy Makeup.

What is your earliest beauty memory?

My earliest memory would be of my godmother. She was fab—a redhead, super glam. She loved makeup and loved clothes. I used to watch her get ready in this almost ritualistic way. I would have been probably about five or six. She would spend hours on it and she wouldn’t call it putting on makeup, but rather putting on her ablutions. It was just fascinating. 

When was the first time you actually got your hands on makeup in a creative way?

I did visual merchandising and interior design at university and one of my work placements was at Harvey Nichols in Leeds doing the windows. I got to look after the beauty department and so that was really my first way into the world. I got super friendly with the MAC crew and ended up getting a job with them for 10 years. I just picked up a brush and got going. MAC was amazing for training. And it was great as MAC worked a lot on fashion shows especially local ones, which was a great experience.

And how did you branch out into editorial work?

It was around 2008—the Boombox era—when I was experimenting a lot on myself and my friends. I’m not a club kid, but I did have lots of friends in that scene so I would go out with them now and then. Thank god there aren’t any pictures. I have dirty blonde hair with bits of red and at that point I dyed it black to express myself and there was lots of black makeup.