INTERNATIONAL. The Moodie Report regretfully announces the passing of Carol Phillips, Clinique’s founder and former Chairman, after a brief illness. She was 84 years old and had retired from Clinique in 1992.
The daughter of the late Kathleen Clark Phillips, a writer, and the late Hubert Phillips, formerly the President of the Frank Parsons Paper Company, Ms Phillips was born in Saint Paul, MN. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before moving to New York City to pursue a career as a magazine editor.
After a stint as the Beauty Editor of Vogue magazine, she was named Managing Editor. During this time, she became a close friend of Estée Lauder. One of Ms Phillips’ most famous stories, “Can Great Skin Be Created?”, written with dermatologist Dr Norman Orentreich, inspired the Lauders to invite her to help create a new line of cosmetics and skin care products. She joined the company in 1967; Clinique was launched in 1968.
“Carol Phillips was the epitome of sophistication, elegance and style,” commented Leonard Lauder, Chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies. “Her attention to detail was legendary – she even wrote her interoffice notes in Clinique-green ink. She brought a fresh perspective and savvy creative sense to the cosmetics industry. It is because of Carol and her vision that Clinique has become the global success it is today.”
“As General Manager of Clinique from 1976 to 1983, I had the unique honour of working with Carol on a day-to-day basis,” added Ronald Lauder, Chairman of Clinique Laboratories. “She was truly unbelievable. I experienced her enthusiasm, humour and brilliance, along with her understanding of what women wanted in cosmetics, first-hand. She had a clear and unique mind, and with her, there was no compromise. Along with Mrs. Estée Lauder, she was responsible for a great deal of what I learned about the beauty business.”
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