Make-up Art Cosmetics
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Consumer goods |
| Founded | Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1984 |
| Founders | Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York, United States |
| Products | Cosmetics |
| Parent |
Estée Lauder Companies (1998–present) |
| Website | www |
MAC Cosmetics, stylized as M·A·C, is a cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company is headquartered in New York City and became part of the Estée Lauder Companies in 1998. MAC is an abbreviation for Make-up Art Cosmetics.
During his time as a photographer and makeup artist, co-founder Frank Toskan realized the lack of suitable colors and textures needed to maximize performance and result of makeup for these industries. Further, he realized how limited conventional products in the cosmetic industry were to responding to the needs of the modern woman. For the first time ethnicity in makeup was addressed. Toskan began to craft a niche market in the world of makeup. Family joined forces including brother-in-law and chemist Victor Casale. MAC very quickly cultivated a following in both the fashion and the retail markets. Initially sold exclusively at the BAY in Canada it quickly expanded to Henry Bandel in New York. Nordstrom department stores welcomed the brand soon after marking MAC's first foray into the mass North American retail market. Sachs, Macy's, Dillard's, and Bloomingdales rapidly followed suit as well as dozens of MAC owned stand alone stores. Unsolicited celebrity endorsement was key to MAC's success as Madonna, Lady Diana, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Cher, and Janet Jackson embraced this new world of makeup art. MAC continues to be the leader in creative cosmetic innovation worldwide.
The company's products were originally intended for makeup professionals, but are sold directly to consumers worldwide. Frank Toskan stated that he "first manufactured makeup for models, but then the models wanted this makeup for their sisters, friends, and so on... ". Today, the brand continues to work with in fashion show professionals: "From a niche brand [mainly for photo or film], MAC has become a global brand."
In the 1990s, the brand had over a hundred stores worldwide, earning 200 million francs. The development of the brand internationally, the opening of new points of sale, and the adaptation of product lines tailored to each continent, left little time for the founders to create new products. In 1994, the company Estée Lauder took control of 51% of shares of MAC Cosmetics and began managing the business end while the two founders retained creative control. In 1997, co-founder Frank Angelo died of cardiac arrest during surgery at the age of 49. At that time, MAC had a revenue of US $250 million, which doubled ten years later. Estée Lauder Inc. completed the acquisition in 1998, and Frank Toskan decided to sell his remaining shares shortly thereafter before leaving the company at the end of the same year.
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