Here at BELLO, we are very excited to announce TRIBE, a makeup line for men. Founded by Matt Rodrigues and Pergrin Pervez, they decided to step foot in unknown territory in the world of cosmetics. After all, when we think about makeup, our minds go directly to “women” but why? We are all humans and why should our skincare be defined by gender? Getting to speak with the founders, they spoke to us about the story behind TRIBE, the obstacles they have faced, and much more. Tribe collaborated with three NY Fashion Week Taste Makers who represent the best of fashion, creativity, and confidence in their fields of Hair, Make-Up, and Design. They challenged these three Taste Makers (Jamal Scott, Matthew Ardel and Daniel Avshalumov) to design limited edition versions of Tribe’s classic packaging to be promoted during September’s NY Fashion Week 2021. Make sure to keep reading on!
“When we conceptualized this collaboration, New York was opening back up. People were returning, bright lights were beginning to shine again and the resiliency and togetherness of New Yorkers was starting to pay off. We wanted to celebrate that and give our City something to find joy in. New York Fashion Week is the first major event in the City post strict lock downs so we felt it was the right time to celebrate safely and be a beacon of solemn happiness for people.”
-Pergin Pervez, Co-Founder, TRIBE
What is the story behind TRIBE? How did you guys meet?
Pergrin and I met through a mutual friend a few years ago. Fast forward to the next time him and I met up, we were in Paris. We’ve quickly developed a strong bond and wanted to get into business together. One day when we were back in New York, Pergrin had a meeting in the afternoon but had a blemish he wanted to cover up. We walked into the nearest Sephora and asked where we can find the makeup for men section. The very nice associate replied, “makeup is gender neutral”, so as we accepted that, we continued to browse the isles and noticed the models in the ads and marketing were all females. That’s when we thought to ourselves, we need to come up with a solution geared towards men, so men would feel comfortable walking into a store and purchasing the same solution that women purchase when they want to fix their imperfections. That solution is makeup.
While building this company, what are some challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
Because Tribe was founded during COVID, shipping and production delays were at an all time high for us. Many factories and fulfilment centers were closed due to the pandemic and the uncertainty. We were able to find a few local labs that were still operational to fill our product, which got us over the many weeks of delays.
Can each of you tell us what this company means to you? How has this journey helped you individually? As partners?
This company is about changing the conversation and removing the stigma around men wearing makeup. As humans, we all want to feel comfortable in our own skin. Everyone has their own imperfections when it comes to their face, but why is it okay for half of society to fix those imperfections, but not the other half? Pergrin and I, along with every other guy, have at some point in our lives, used our mom’s/sister’s/girlfriend’s concelear, because we were made to feel embarrassed to get our own. We want to enable men to feel confident in their own skin.
Working on Tribe has really expanded our view on how much society shapes an individual with preconceived frameworks that are often not just, and are arbitrary to one idea. We think the world could be a better place if we joined the effort to take down some of these institutalized stigmas.
In what ways did you each discover new things about yourselves?
We both discovered the importance of friendship and spending some meaningful time on things other than work that truly enrich life.
What do beauty and skincare mean to you?
Beauty means to us- the freedom to put your best self forward, whether it’s buying the clothes, getting the haircut, whatever it may be to make yourself feel that way. We chose to focus on what we considered the last frontier for men, your face.
Absolutely LOVE that you are making cosmetics for men. I mean we are all human after all and have skin! However, have you encountered people who believe men and makeup don’t go together? If so, how did you handle it?
Absolutely! This is the entire reason we created Tribe. As you said, we all have skin! This is the challenge we face every day through awareness, education, continuing to promote images normalizing the wearing of makeup for men.
What kind of advice would you give to anyone starting their business?
Matt and I have wanted to start a business together for some time, before we started Tribe. We continuously thought of different ideas, but nothing seemed to click, until we came up with the idea for Tribe because we were both passionate about helping other people. This was greater than us, this was beyond wanting to secure a financial future, and beyond simply just being in business together. This is a passion project, so this is our advice to anyone wanting to start a business – be passionate about it, because this is going to be your life.
Share with us what each of yours skincare routine is and what makes you feel the best.
Having a fresh clean face and bright smile makes us feel positive and confident! Our skincare routine begins with hydration – drinking lots of water, cleansing, then applying a moisturizer with hyaluron, such as Tribe, adding color cosmetics to complete your look
Any personal stories (happened to you or someone told you about) in which there was a drastic change from zoom calls before using your products and after?
I’d like to share one customer’s very heartfelt testimonial with you: I heard about your company, yesterday, from an article in the NY Post on men using more cosmetics for Zoom calls. I immediately ordered your product, from that article. Although I am in a wheelchair, and 65 years old, I take great pride in my appearance, especially during many Zoom calls I have throughout the day. I am a practicing attorney, and also a patient advocate. I like to look healthy and tan…”
It’s helping people like this that make all the sweat and tears worth it.
About the 2021 Tribe Collaboration Artists:
About Jamal Scott
Brooklyn, New York raised Jamal Scott was always destined to be in the limelight of creative arts. Born to Trinidadian heritage, a young Jamal would pursue a spectrum of creative arts, including learning to sew at age four under the direction of his beloved grandmother, before finally discovering after college his true passion for storytelling through make-up artistry. “I’ve always wanted to become a voice for designers’ creativity. I understand the character they are trying to convey with their designs, and make- up helps tell the story,” he says with a smile. Having worked alongside the world’s top designers, “New York Fashion Week to me is about instant gratification, exhaustion, family reunions and is my favourite part about being an MUA .” Jamal agreed to add his creativity to Tribe’s NYFW collaboration because “I support empowering anyone who wants to do what they want to do.” He continues, “Everyone should understand that their favourite actor or their favourite athlete is wearing make-up, and it’s about feeling your most confident, and that should be available to everyone. Make-up is part of your skin care routine and is your final step in being prepared for
your day”.
About Matthew Ardel:
Matthew Ardell, model, artist, and gallery professional, resides and works in New York City. Matthew started work at Pace Gallery in 2018 and soon after signed with Wilhelmina in 2019. Matthew’s work is influenced by reflections on material, open space, and ephemerality. His work is an exploration of the sense of solitude evoked in transience. Matt studied Fine Art at the Fashion Institute of Technology. When asked what New York Fashion Week meant to him, Matt responded, “ New York City has always represented a place where I had the freedom to be myself. NYFW is the embodiment of the New York freedom of spirit interpreted by vanguard designers through their own unique aesthetics and voices. As the city starts to feel more like the New York we know and love, this year’s NYFW will be an exciting preview into the future of fashion, redefined.” Furthermore, when meeting Matt’s collaboration with Tribe cosmetics, Matt believes that skincare is an integral part of life and his daily routine. Matt spoke on the collaboration stating that, “As an artist, makeup and skincare are like another medium for me, so it feels natural to combine these aspects of my life in this collaboration with Tribe Cosmetics.” Additionally, Matt believes in the changing of norms, he likes to think one step further and to defy norms. According to Matt, “This means creating space and acceptance for all the ways myself and others diverge from what is traditional or “normal”.”
About Daniel Avshalumov:
Daniel Avshalumov, born in Belarus, flew to the United States at around the age of 2. Throughout his childhood years, Daniel consumed most of his time learning many expressive art forms, such as music and dance. When asked about music, Daniel indicated, “Ever since I was young, I enjoyed classical music. I enjoyed classics like “Canon”, as well as more modern pieces, like “River Flows in You”, from Twilight.” Listening to classical music was always Daniels way to unwind after a long day. His attention to the arts stretched to the practice of dance. Dancing through the years helped Daniel develop a strong sense of discipline and respect that he was able to apply beyond the dance floor. In 2019, Daniel got signed and began college. Around this time, Daniel began interning at a software company, pursing his dream of becoming a computer science engineer. According to Daniel, “As I continue on my professional journey, I hope to inspire creativity and contribute my
knowledge and abilities to an ever-growing world.” Besides, New York is considered a melting pot, not only because of the many different types of people who come here, but also stems from the fact
that the city makes us all one collective society. If you lived in New York City most of your life, you would recognize not only the glamorous side, but also the gritty and punishing side as well. As one of the foremost cities in the world, NYFW is not just the birthplace of many fashion trends and statements; it additionally portrays the struggle throughout the years of several different designers, photographers, models, etc.
