For Thomas de Kluyver, makeup is limitless: a tool allowing for the possibilities of infinite transformations. A makeup artist who combines a deeply-felt connection with his craft, together with a strong desire to break through its boundaries, the Australian-born, London-based de Kluyver has established himself as a singular talent in the terrain of beauty. His body of image making to date is testament to de Kluyver’s global reputation as a new kind of makeup artist: one who is powerfully attuned to the subversion of gender and beauty norms that define this generation.

De Kluyver’s unique stamp on beauty artistry led to his appointment as Global Makeup Artist for Gucci in 2019. For de Kluyver, it’s a world that chimes with his own love for colour, eclecticism and a sense of wonder through style: thus far, his work at the house has encompassed some of the decade’s most pop culture-resonant campaigns and runway shows, as well as technical consultation on future cosmetics.

For de Kluyver, his longheld collaborations are what make for lasting, meaningful work and are reflective of his position among a new breed of global fashion creatives. To date, he has collaborated with photographers including Harley Weir, Tyler Mitchell, Sharna Osborne, Carlijn Jacobs, and Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, and stylists such as Robbie Spencer, Lotta Volkova and Marie Chaix. He has worked on runway and campaign looks for Simone Rocha, Acne Studios, Jil Sander and Charlotte Knowles; his editorials and personal projects have appeared in titles such as i-D, Double, Self Service, The Face, AnOther, M le Monde and Dazed, where he currently holds the title of Contributing Beauty Editor.

In 2019, de Kluyver brought together existing and new work in his first book, ‘All I Want To Be’ (IDEA): garnering significant attention in the global press, it’s a definitive document of his ongoing mission to deconstruct and experiment with beauty in all its forms. “I have a very specific style of makeup and I’m always trying to push the idea of using makeup as a form of self-expression. I felt that this was the right time to capture this sentiment in a different context than in a magazine…It’s a book that aims to break down prescribed ideas of beauty and gender, vanity and identity. I want to inspire people to use makeup as a tool to express how you feel on the inside – not just a mask that you hide behind.”